Alpha-driven magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and MHD-induced alpha loss in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor

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Abstract

Alpha-driven toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes (TAEs) are observed as predicted by theory in the post-neutral beam phase in high central q (safety factor) deuterium–tritium (D–T) plasmas in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) [D. J. Grove and D. M. Meade, Nucl. Fusion 25, 1167 (1985)]. The mode location, poloidal structure, and the importance of q profile for TAE instability are discussed. So far no alpha particle loss due to these modes was detected due to the small mode amplitude. However, alpha loss induced by kinetic ballooning modes (KBMs) was observed in high-confinement D–T discharges. Particle orbit simulation demonstrates that the wave–particle resonant interaction can explain the observed correlation between the increase in alpha loss and appearance of multiple high-n (n⩾6, n is the toroidal mode number) modes.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1610-1616
Number of pages7
JournalPhysics of Plasmas
Volume4
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1997

Keywords

  • ALFVEN WAVES
  • ALPHA PARTICLES
  • D-T REACTORS
  • MHD EQUILIBRIUM
  • PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
  • PLASMA RADIAL PROFILES
  • PLASMA SIMULATION
  • TFTR TOKAMAK

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