Investigations of impurity seeding and radiation control for long-pulse and high-density H-mode plasmas in JT-60U

TLDR

Reducing heat loading on plasma‑facing components, such as the divertor, is essential for fusion reactors. They investigated long‑pulse ELMy H‑mode discharges on JT‑60U, using argon seeding to shift ELMs from Type‑I to Type‑III and argon plus nitrogen seeding in Type‑I plasmas with an internal transport barrier to enhance radiative loss. Case 1 achieved large radiative loss and Type‑III ELMs, reducing heat loads and maintaining good confinement (H98y2 ≈ 0.75–0.87) with divertor detachment for 13.5 s; case 2, with Ar + Ne seeding, further improved confinement (H98y2 ≈ 0.80–0.95) and sustained detachment for 12 s, but heat‑loading reduction alone was insufficient, indicating that additional divertor radiative power is required for detachment.

Abstract

Rseduction of heat loading appropriate for the plasma facing components such as the divertor is crucial for a fusion reactor. Power handling by large radiative power loss has been studied in long pulse ELMy H-mode discharges on JT-60U (τ d = 30–35 s). Case 1 is argon (Ar) seeding into standard ELMy H-mode plasmas, where large radiation loss in the confined region of the main plasma caused a change in ELM characteristics from Type-I to Type-III. Case 2 is a combination of Ar and nitrogen (Ne) gas seeding into Type-I ELMy H-mode plasmas with an internal transport barrier (ITB). For case 1, large radiation loss both from the main plasma and from the divertor was produced, and operation of Type-III ELMs was preferable to a reduction in ELM energy loss fraction ( W ELM / W dia ) to 0.15%. Both transient and steady-state heat loadings were reduced. Relatively good energy confinement ( H H98 y 2 = 0.87 − 0.75) with large f rad ( P rad / P abs > 0.8) and divertor plasma detachment was sustained continuously for 13.5 s. For case 2, with reduced Ar seeding to the main plasma and increased divertor radiation with Ne seeding, the ELMy H-mode plasma with an ITB had better energy confinement ( H H98 y 2 = 0.95 − 0.8), which was sustained continuously for 12 s. The radiated power was increased primarily in the divertor ( ), which was produced both by seeded Ne ions and by carbon influx due to transient (ELM) and steady-state heat loadings in the attached divertor. Reduction in the heat loading was not enough, thus enhancement of the radiated power in the divertor will be necessary for the formation of the divertor detachment.