Small Edge Localized Modes Research Articles

Overview of MAST results

The Mega Ampère Spherical Tokamak (MAST) programme is strongly focused on addressing key physics issues in preparation for operation of ITER as well as providing solutions for DEMO design choices. In this regard, MAST has provided key results in understanding and optimizing H-mode confinement, operating with smaller edge localized modes (ELMs), predicting and handling plasma exhaust and tailoring auxiliary current drive. In all cases, the high-resolution diagnostic capability on MAST is complemented by sophisticated numerical modelling to facilitate a deeper understanding. Mitigation of ELMs with resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) with toroidal mode number nRMP = 2, 3, 4, 6 has been demonstrated: at high and low collisionality; for the first ELM following the transition to high confinement operation; during the current ramp-up; and with rotating nRMP = 3 RMPs. nRMP = 4, 6 fields cause less rotation braking whilst the power to access H-mode is less with nRMP = 4 than nRMP = 3, 6. Refuelling with gas or pellets gives plasmas with mitigated ELMs and reduced peak heat flux at the same time as achieving good confinement. A synergy exists between pellet fuelling and RMPs, since mitigated ELMs remove fewer particles. Inter-ELM instabilities observed with Doppler backscattering are consistent with gyrokinetic simulations of micro-tearing modes in the pedestal. Meanwhile, ELM precursors have been strikingly observed with beam emission spectroscopy (BES) measurements. A scan in beta at the L–H transition shows that pedestal height scales strongly with core pressure. Gyro-Bohm normalized turbulent ion heat flux (as estimated from the BES data) is observed to decrease with increasing tilt of the turbulent eddies. Fast ion redistribution by energetic particle modes depends on density, and access to a quiescent domain with ‘classical’ fast ion transport is found above a critical density. Highly efficient electron Bernstein wave current drive (1 A W−1) has been achieved in solenoid-free start-up. A new proton detector has characterized escaping fusion products. Langmuir probes and a high-speed camera suggest filaments play a role in particle transport in the private flux region whilst coherence imaging has measured scrape-off layer (SOL) flows. BOUT++ simulations show that fluxes due to filaments are strongly dependent on resistivity and magnetic geometry of the SOL, with higher radial fluxes at higher resistivity. Finally, MAST Upgrade is due to begin operation in 2016 to support ITER preparation and importantly to operate with a Super-X divertor to test extended leg concepts for particle and power exhaust.

Mode coupling and aspect ratio effects on low and high-n plasma instabilities

In magnetically confined toroidal plasmas such as tokamaks, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities experience strong toroidal and nonlinear mode coupling effects. Resistive MHD simulations with the M3D code show the importance of mode coupling and compressible MHD effects, which contribute to stronger mode coupling. For the m/n = 1/1 internal kink mode and sawtooth crash and for the edge localized mode (ELM) at higher n, MHD reproduces many features of the experimental observations, including the fast sawtooth crash and the moderate n ∼ 10 toroidal harmonics of the ELM. A general property of the perpendicular momentum equation in toroidal fusion plasmas is that the unbalanced radial forces remain relatively small, so that the terms that are lowest order in small inverse aspect ratio mostly cancel. The higher order terms then have significant effects, even at small r/Ro and small amplitude. Effects are strongest for the lowest toroidal harmonics n ≃ 1 and the most strongly driven ones with highest amplitude. Unlike the n = 1 internal kink mode, the small amplitude ELM ballooning/peeling-type mode, and thus ELM MHD marginal stability, may be reasonably described by the lowest order in aspect ratio, for moderate and large n ≳ 10. The ELM crash, however, depends on higher order.

Overview of the JET results

Since the installation of an ITER-like wall, the JET programme has focused on the consolidation of ITER design choices and the preparation for ITER operation, with a specific emphasis given to the bulk tungsten melt experiment, which has been crucial for the final decision on the material choice for the day-one tungsten divertor in ITER. Integrated scenarios have been progressed with the re-establishment of long-pulse, high-confinement H-modes by optimizing the magnetic configuration and the use of ICRH to avoid tungsten impurity accumulation. Stationary discharges with detached divertor conditions and small edge localized modes have been demonstrated by nitrogen seeding. The differences in confinement and pedestal behaviour before and after the ITER-like wall installation have been better characterized towards the development of high fusion yield scenarios in DT. Post-mortem analyses of the plasma-facing components have confirmed the previously reported low fuel retention obtained by gas balance and shown that the pattern of deposition within the divertor has changed significantly with respect to the JET carbon wall campaigns due to the absence of thermally activated chemical erosion of beryllium in contrast to carbon. Transport to remote areas is almost absent and two orders of magnitude less material is found in the divertor.

Observations of the effect of lower hybrid waves on ELM behaviour in EAST

Dedicated experiments focusing on the influence of lower hybrid waves (LHWs) on edge-localized modes (ELMs) were first performed during the 2012 experimental campaign of EAST, via modulating the input power of LHWs in the high-confinement-mode (H-mode) plasma mainly sustained by ion cyclotron resonant heating. Natural ELMs are effectively mitigated (ELM frequency increases, while its intensity decreases dramatically) as the LHW is applied, observed over a fairly wide range of plasma current or edge safety factor. By scanning the modulation frequency (fm) of LHW injected power in a target plasma dominated by the so-called small ELMs, we conclude that large ELMs with markedly larger amplitudes and lower frequencies are reproduced at low modulation frequencies (fm < 100 Hz). Analysis of the evolution of edge extreme ultraviolet radiation signals further indicates that plasma fluctuations at the pedestal region indistinctively respond to rapid modulation (fm ⩾ 100 Hz) of LHW injected power. This is proposed as the mechanism responsible for the observed fm dependence of the mitigation effect induced by LHWs on large ELMs. In addition, a critical threshold of LHW input power PLHW is estimated as , beyond which the impact of applied LHWs on ELM behaviours can be achieved. Finally, Langmuir probe measurements suggest that, rather than the concentration of free energy into a narrowband quasi-coherent precursor commonly observed growing until the ELM crash, the continuous development of broadband turbulence during the ELM-absent phase with the application of LHWs might contribute to the avoidance of ELM crashes. These results present new insights into existing experiments, and also provide some foundations and references for the next-step research about exploring in more depth and improving this new attractive method to effectively control the ELM-induced very large transient heat and particle flux.

Enhanced confinement scenarios without large edge localized modes in tokamaks: control, performance, and extrapolability issues for ITER

Large edge localized modes (ELMs) typically accompany good H-mode confinement in fusion devices, but can present problems for plasma facing components because of high transient heat loads. Here the range of techniques for ELM control deployed in fusion devices is reviewed. Two strategies in the ITER baseline design are emphasized: rapid ELM triggering and peak heat flux control via pellet injection, and the use of magnetic perturbations to suppress or mitigate ELMs. While both of these techniques are moderately well developed, with reasonable physical bases for projecting to ITER, differing observations between multiple devices are also discussed to highlight the needed community R&D. In addition, recent progress in ELM-free regimes, namely quiescent H-mode, I-mode, and enhanced pedestal H-mode is reviewed, and open questions for extrapolability are discussed. Finally progress and outstanding issues in alternate ELM control techniques are reviewed: supersonic molecular beam injection, edge electron cyclotron heating, lower hybrid heating and/or current drive, controlled periodic jogs of the vertical centroid position, ELM pace-making via periodic magnetic perturbations, ELM elimination with lithium wall conditioning, and naturally occurring small ELM regimes.

ELM mitigation with pellet ELM triggering and implications for PFCs and plasma performance in ITER

The triggering of rapid small edge localized modes (ELMs) by high frequency pellet injection has been proposed as a method to prevent large naturally occurring ELMs that can erode the ITER plasma facing components (PFCs). Deuterium pellet injection has been used to successfully demonstrate the on-demand triggering of edge localized modes (ELMs) at much higher rates and with much smaller intensity than natural ELMs. The proposed hypothesis for the triggering mechanism of ELMs by pellets is the local pressure perturbation resulting from reheating of the pellet cloud that can exceed the local high-n ballooning mode threshold where the pellet is injected. Nonlinear MHD simulations of the pellet ELM triggering show destabilization of high-n ballooning modes by such a local pressure perturbation.A review of the recent pellet ELM triggering results from ASDEX Upgrade (AUG), DIII-D, and JET reveals that a number of uncertainties about this ELM mitigation technique still remain. These include the heat flux impact pattern on the divertor and wall from pellet triggered and natural ELMs, the necessary pellet size and injection location to reliably trigger ELMs, and the level of fueling to be expected from ELM triggering pellets and synergy with larger fueling pellets. The implications of these issues for pellet ELM mitigation in ITER and its impact on the PFCs are presented along with the design features of the pellet injection system for ITER.

Edge-coherent-mode nature of the small edge localized modes in Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak

High-confinement regime with high-frequency and low-energy-loss small edge localized modes (ELMs) was achieved in Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak by using the lower hybrid current drive and ion cyclotron resonance heating with lithium wall conditioning. The small ELMs are usually accompanied with a quasi-coherent mode at frequency around 30 kHz, as detected by the Langmuir probes near the separatrix. The coherent mode, with weak magnetic perturbations different from the precursor of conventional ELMs, propagates in the electron diamagnetic drift direction in the lab frame with the poloidal wavelength λθ ∼ 14 cm, corresponding to both high poloidal and toroidal mode numbers (m &amp;gt; 60 and n &amp;gt; 12). This coherent mode, carrying high-temperature high-density filament-like plasma, drives considerable transport from the pedestal region into the scrape-off layer towards divertor region. The co-existence of small ELMs and quasi-coherent modes is beneficial for the sustainment of long pulse H-mode regime without significant confinement degradation.

Investigations on the edge kinetic data in regimes with type-I and mitigated ELMs at ASDEX Upgrade

The behaviour of profiles and gradients of electron density, temperature and pressure at the edge of ASDEX Upgrade was studied in regimes with type-I and small edge localized modes (ELMs) of discharges with and without applied magnetic perturbations (MPs). Estimation of the edge kinetic parameters was performed by means of integrated data analysis for joint reconstruction of electron density and temperature profiles via combination of data from different diagnostics. The MP fields for ELM mitigation were produced by 16 in-vessel coils allowing to execute this survey with large variations in poloidal spectrum and resonant component of the error field. With several dedicated discharges the effect of MPs on the edge kinetic data and ELMs was determined in dependence of heating power, gas puff and MP-coil configuration. Small ELMs are dominant—with and without MPs—in regimes with reduced pedestal top electron temperatures and flattened edge electron pressure gradients compared to type-I ELM phases. Furthermore, application of MPs opens an additional small ELM regime in the high temperature range at reduced electron pressure gradient.

Langmuir-magnetic probe measurements of ELMs and dithering cycles in the EAST tokamak

Measurements of the dynamical behavior associated with edge localized modes (ELMs) have been carried out in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) by direct probing near the separatrix and far scrape-off layer (SOL) using electrostatic as well as magnetic probes. Type-III ELMs and dithering cycles have been investigated near the threshold power for the transition from the low confinement mode (L-mode) to the high confinement mode (H-mode). A precursor is observed prior to type-III ELM events with chirping frequency (130–70 kHz). It is located inside the separatrix and does not lead to considerable particle transport into the SOL. Distinct from type-III ELMs, no precursor modes precede the dithering cycles. It is evident from our measurements that the absence of precursor activity is a good indicator to distinguish the dithering cycles from type-III ELMs. A number of distinct current filaments are identified slightly inside the separatrix, both during type-III ELM events and dithering cycles. The characteristic current topology in these filaments is still ambiguous in our investigations. Furthermore, small ELMs are observed in type-I ELMy-like H-mode discharge regimes on EAST, in which solitary monopolar current filaments are observed to propagate in the SOL.

Understanding the effect resonant magnetic perturbations have on ELMs

All current estimations of the energy released by type I edge-localized modes (ELMs) indicate that, in order to ensure an adequate lifetime of the divertor targets on ITER, a mechanism is required to decrease the amount of energy released by an ELM, or to eliminate ELMs altogether. One such amelioration mechanism relies on perturbing the magnetic field in the edge plasma region, either leading to more frequent, smaller ELMs (ELM mitigation) or ELM suppression. This technique of resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) has been employed to suppress type I ELMs at high collisionality/density on DIII-D, ASDEX Upgrade, KSTAR and JET and at low collisionality on DIII-D. At ITER-like collisionality the RMPs enhance the transport of particles or energy and keep the edge pressure gradient below the 2D linear ideal magnetohydrodynamic critical value that would trigger an ELM, whereas at high collisionality/density the type I ELMs are replaced by small type II ELMs. Although ELM suppression only occurs within limited operational ranges, ELM mitigation is much more easily achieved. The exact parameters that determine the onset of ELM suppression are unknown but in all cases the magnetic perturbations produce 3D distortions to the plasma and enhanced particle transport. The incorporation of these 3D effects in codes will be essential in order to make quantitative predictions for future devices.

Mitigation of type-I ELMs with n = 2 fields on JET with ITER-like wall

Mitigation of type-I edge-localized modes (ELMs) was observed with the application of an n = 2 field in H-mode plasmas on the JET tokamak with the ITER-like wall (ILW). Several new findings with the ILW were identified and contrasted to the previous carbon wall (C-wall) results for comparable conditions. Previous results for high collisionality plasmas with the C-wall saw little or no influence of either n = 1 or n = 2 fields on the ELMs. However, recent observations with the ILW show large type-I ELMs with a frequency of ∼45 Hz were replaced by high-frequency (∼200 Hz) small ELMs during the application of the n = 2 field. With the ILW, splitting of the outer strike point was observed for the first time during the strong mitigation of the type-I ELMs. The maximal surface temperature (Tmax) on the outer divertor plate reached a stationary state and has only small variations of a few degrees due to the small mitigated ELMs. In moderate collisionality H-mode plasmas, similar to previous results with the C-wall, both an increase in the ELM frequency and density pump-out were observed during the application of the n = 2 field. There are two new observations compared with the C-wall results. Firstly, the effect of ELM mitigation with the n = 2 field was seen to saturate so that the ELM frequency did not further increase above a certain level of n = 2 magnetic perturbations. Secondly splitting of the outer strike point during the ELM crash was seen, resulting in mitigation of the maximal ELM peak heat fluxes on the divertor region.

Characterizations of power loads on divertor targets for type-I, compound and small ELMs in the EAST superconducting tokamak

The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) has recently achieved a variety of H-mode regimes with different edge-localized mode (ELM) dynamics, including type-I ELMs, compound ELMs, which are manifested by the onset of a large spike followed by a sequence of small spikes on Dα emissions, usual type-III ELMs, and very small ELMs. This newly observed very small ELMy H-mode appears to be similar to the type-II ELMy H-mode, with higher repetition frequency (∼1 kHz) and lower amplitude than the type-III ELMy H-mode, exhibiting an intermediate confinement level between type-I and type-III ELMy H-modes. The energy loss and divertor power load are systematically characterized for these different ELMy H-modes to provide a physics basis for the next-step high-power long-pulse operations in EAST. Both type-I and compound ELMs exhibit good confinement (H98(y,2) ∼ 1). A significant loss of the plasma stored energy occurs at the onset of type-I ELMs (∼8%) and compound ELMs (∼5%), while no noticeable change in the plasma stored energy is observed for the small ELMs, including both type-III ELMs and very small ELMs. The peak heat flux on divertor targets for type-I ELMs currently achieved in EAST is about 10 MW m−2, as determined from the divertor-embedded triple Langmuir probe system with high time resolution. As expected, type-III ELMs lead to much smaller divertor power loads with a peak heat flux of about 2 MW m−2. Peak power loads for compound ELMs are between those for type-I and type-III ELMs. It is remarkable that the new very small ELMy H-modes exhibit even lower target power deposition than type-III ELMs, with the peak heat flux generally below 1 MW m−2. These very small ELMs are usually accompanied by broadband fluctuations with frequencies ranging from 20 to 50 kHz, which may promote particle and power exhaust throughout the very small ELMy H-mode regime.

ELM control strategies and tools: status and potential for ITER

Operating ITER in the reference inductive scenario at the design values of Ip = 15 MA and QDT = 10 requires the achievement of good H-mode confinement that relies on the presence of an edge transport barrier whose pedestal pressure height is key to plasma performance. Strong gradients occur at the edge in such conditions that can drive magnetohydrodynamic instabilities resulting in edge localized modes (ELMs), which produce a rapid energy loss from the pedestal region to the plasma facing components (PFC). Without appropriate control, the heat loads on PFCs during ELMs in ITER are expected to become significant for operation in H-mode at Ip = 6–9 MA; operation at higher plasma currents would result in a very reduced life time of the PFCs.Currently, several options are being considered for the achievement of the required level of ELM control in ITER; this includes operation in plasma regimes which naturally have no or very small ELMs, decreasing the ELM energy loss by increasing their frequency by a factor of up to 30 and avoidance of ELMs by actively controlling the edge with magnetic perturbations. Small/no ELM regimes obtained by influencing the edge stability (by plasma shaping, rotational shear control, etc) have shown in present experiments a significant reduction of the ELM heat fluxes compared to type-I ELMs. However, so far they have only been observed under a limited range of pedestal conditions depending on each specific device and their extrapolation to ITER remains uncertain. ELM control by increasing their frequency relies on the controlled triggering of the edge instability leading to the ELM. This has been presently demonstrated with the injection of pellets and with plasma vertical movements; pellets having provided the results more promising for application in ITER conditions. ELM avoidance/suppression takes advantage of the fact that relatively small changes in the pedestal plasma and magnetic field parameters seem to have a large stabilizing effect on large ELMs. Application of edge magnetic field perturbation with non-axisymmetric fields is found to affect transport at the plasma edge and thus prevent the uncontrolled rise of the plasma pressure gradients and the occurrence of type-I ELMs. This paper compiles a brief overview of various ELM control approaches, summarizes their present achievements and briefly discusses the open issues regarding their application in ITER.

Confinement and ELM characteristics of H-mode plasmas in KSTAR

The latest results of confinement and edge-localized mode (ELM) characteristics of Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) H-mode plasmas are reported. The estimation of fast ion contribution to the total stored energy, calculated by both the NUBEAM and ASTRA simulations, and of the effective total heating power is used to derive the thermal energy confinement time (τE,thermal), which is compared with a multi-machine database. The measured power threshold for the L–H transition (Pthr) as a function of density shows a roll-over with minimum value at . KSTAR H-mode plasmas exhibit three distinctive types of ELMs: large type-I ELMs, intermediate ELMs and a mixed (type-I and small ELM peaks) ELM regime. Power scans show that the frequency of the large ELMs increases with increasing heating power, a feature of type-I ELMs. The quality of confinement is higher for type-I and mixed ELMy H-mode (H98(y,2) ∼ 0.9–1) than for the intermediate ELM regime (H98(y,2) ∼ 0.7). Type-I ELMs have precursor-like signals from the magnetics measurement, while the other two ELM types do not. The low-field side (LFS) profile of electron temperature (Te), from the ECE measurement, and the pedestal profile of the toroidal velocity (Vt), from charge-exchange spectroscopy, show a continuous build up on the LFS during the inter-ELM period. However, the pedestal ion temperature (Ti) remains unchanged for most of the inter-ELM period until it rapidly rises in the last stage of the ELM cycle (⩾70–80%). The estimated electron pedestal collisionality for a type-I ELMy regime is . The confinement and ELM characteristics for the ELM suppression discharges by the application of an n = 1 magnetic perturbation (MP) have also been investigated for each of the identified stages during the MP application. A second L–H transition during the L-mode phase after the end of first H-mode stage occurs for some discharges when the divertor configuration is restored by the plasma control system. Characteristics of this late H-mode are compared with those for the main H-mode.

Overview of recent developments in pellet injection for ITER

Abstract Pellet injection is the primary fueling technique planned for core fueling of ITER burning plasmas. Also, the injection of relatively small pellets to purposely trigger rapid small edge localized modes (ELMs) has been proposed as a possible solution to the heat flux damage from larger natural ELMs likely to be an issue on the ITER divertor surfaces. The ITER pellet injection system is designed to inject pellets into the plasma through both inner and outer wall guide tubes. The inner wall guide tubes will provide high throughput pellet fueling while the outer wall guide tubes will be used primarily to trigger ELMs at a high frequency (>15 Hz). The pellet fueling rate of each injector is to be up to 120 Pa m 3 /s, which will require the formation of solid D–T at a volumetric rate of ∼1500 mm 3 /s. Two injectors are to be provided for ITER at the startup with a provision for up to six injectors during the D–T phase. The required throughput of each injector is greater than that of any injector built to date, and a novel twin-screw continuous extrusion system is being developed to meet the challenging design parameters. Status of the development activities is presented, highlighting recent progress.

Preliminary behavior studies of edge localized modes on HL-2A

The edge-localized modes (ELMs) are often excited in an H-mode plasma, and they are helpful for cleaning the H-mode plasma to sustain a steady state for a longer time by controlling plasma density and exhausting impurities, but energy and particles carried by ELM burst will badly damage the first-wall of fusion device, thus the characteristics of and the control and mitigation of ELM are studied necessarily prior to the basic operational regime operating on ITER. ELMs of different perturbation amplitudes are observed experimentally on HL-2A tokamak. The frequency of small perturbation amplitude ELM decreases with the increase of net heating power, and it is about 300-400 Hz, and energy loss induced by per ELM is usually less than 3% of the plasma energy. The small ELM is type Ⅲ ELM. While for large (type-I) ELM, besides that the energy loss induced by an ELM is generally more than 10%, they also exert an obvious perturbation on other plasma parameters, such as plasma current and electron density, and the tELM may be longer than 30 ms. ELM precursors are poloidally asymmetric, which can be measured by Mirnov probes on the low field side, but not on the high field side; the frequency of ELM precursors is about 45 kHz, and the longest precursors last approximately 10 ms prior to the ELM bursts.

Studies of edge localized mode mitigation with new active in-vessel saddle coils in ASDEX Upgrade

The ASDEX Upgrade tokamak is currently being enhanced with a set of in-vessel saddle coils for non-axisymmetric perturbations aiming at mitigation or suppression of edge localized modes (ELMs). Results obtained during the first experimental campaign are reported. With n = 2 magnetic perturbations, it is observed that type-I ELMs can be replaced by benign small ELM activity with strongly reduced energy loss from the confined plasma and power load to the divertor. During these phases with ELM mitigation, no density reduction (density ‘pump-out’) is observed. ELM mitigation has, so far, been observed in plasmas with different shape and different heating mixes and, therefore, different momentum input. The ELM mitigation regime can be accessed with resonant and non-resonant perturbation field configurations. The main threshold requirement appears to be a critical minimum plasma edge density which depends on plasma current. So far it is not possible to distinguish whether this is an edge collisionality threshold or a critical fraction of the Greenwald density limit.

Comparison of small edge-localized modes on MAST and ASDEX Upgrade

Results from a set of ITPA-coordinated experiments on ASDEX Upgrade and MAST to compare the characteristics of small edge-localized modes (ELMs) are presented. In MAST a small ELM regime is established in connected double null discharges in a limited region of normalized pedestal pressure and collisionality. Type II ELMs on ASDEX Upgrade have high frequency and low energy loss and occur at high triangularity and close to double null. On both devices the transition from type I to small ELMs is connected with a similar threshold value of the pedestal collisionality. For the first time the temporal and spatial evolution of the filament structures observed during these small ELMs have been studied. The radial and toroidal velocities of the filaments in these small ELMs are slower compared with type I ELMs on both devices. The observations are compatible with the filaments in small ELMs originating closer to the last closed flux surface than is the case in type I ELMs. The toroidal mode number of the small ELMs, derived from the temporal evolution of the filaments, is typically a factor of two larger than for type I ELMs. The small ELMs on MAST have sufficient similarities to type II ELMs on ASDEX Upgrade that they should be classified as the same.

Comparison of small ELM characteristics and regimes in Alcator C-Mod, MAST and NSTX

We report on the status of a set of ITPA-coordinated experiments between the Alcator C-Mod, MAST and NSTX devices to compare the characteristics and access conditions of discharges with small edge-localized modes (ELMs). The small ELMs in C-Mod, MAST and one of the two small ELM types in NSTX exist when approached 10–15%, although the lower/upper limits of the operational windows differ. These small ELM regimes appear in diverted configurations very close to balanced double-null in each device. We classify these small ELMs as type II, based on the published characteristics from a number of previous studies. In addition, these type II ELMs in each device had multiple filaments with propagation in the co-Ip or ion diamagnetic drift direction. Moreover, we conclude that these type II ELMs are distinct from the type V ELMs routinely observed in NSTX, which have one or two filaments and propagate in the electron diamagnetic drift direction.

Toroidally resolved structure of divertor heat flux in RMP H-mode discharges on DIII-D

As shown on DIII-D edge localized modes (ELMs) can be either completely eliminated or mitigated with resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) fields. Two infrared cameras, separated 105° toroidally, were used to make simultaneous measurements of ELM heat loads with high frame rates. Without the RMP fields ELMs display a variety of different heat load dynamics and a range of toroidal variability that is characteristic of their 3D structure. Comparing radial averages there is no asymmetry between two toroidal locations. With RMP-mitigated ELMs, the variability in the radially averaged power loads is significantly reduced and toroidal asymmetries in power loads are introduced. In addition to RMP ELM suppression scenarios an RMP scenario with only very small ELMs and very good confinement has been achieved.