Energetic ion losses caused by magnetohydrodynamic activity resonant and non-resonant with energetic ions in Large Helical Device

Kunihiro Ogawa, Mitsutaka Isobe, Kazuo Toi, Akihiro Shimizu, Donald A. Spong, Masaki Osakabe, Satoshi Yamamoto

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Experiments to reveal energetic ion dynamics associated with magnetohydrodynamic activity are ongoing in the Large Helical Device (LHD). Interactions between beam-driven toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes (TAEs) and energetic ions have been investigated. Energetic ion losses induced by beam-driven burst TAEs have been observed using a scintillator-based lost fast-ion probe (SLIP) in neutral beam-heated high β plasmas. The loss flux of co-going beam ions increases as the TAE amplitude increases. In addition to this, the expulsion of beam ions associated with edge-localized modes (ELMs) has been also recognized in LHD. The SLIP has indicated that beam ions having co-going and barely co-going orbits are affected by ELMs. The relation between ELM amplitude and ELM-induced loss has a dispersed structure. To understand the energetic ion loss process, a numerical simulation based on an orbit-following model, DELTA5D, that incorporates magnetic fluctuations is performed. The calculation result shows that energetic ions confined in the interior region are lost due to TAE instability, with a diffusive process characterizing their loss. For the ELM, energetic ions existing near the confinement/loss boundary are lost through a convective process. We found that the ELM-induced loss flux measured by SLIP changes with the ELM phase. This relation between the ELM amplitude and measured ELM-induced loss results in a more dispersed loss structure.

Original languageEnglish
Article number094005
JournalPlasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Volume56
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1 2014

Funding

FundersFunder number
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science London21340175, 21360457

    Keywords

    • edge-localized mode
    • energetic ion
    • lost fast-ion diagnostics
    • orbit simulation
    • toroidal Alfvén eigenmode

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