[en] For fusion, obtaining reliable measurements of basic plasma parameters like ion and electron densities and temperatures is a primary goal. For theory, measurements are needed as a function of time and space to understand plasma transport and confinement with the ultimate goal of achieving economic nuclear fusion power. Electron profile measurements and plasma spectroscopy for the plasma ions are introduced. With the advent of Neutral Beam auxiliary plasma heating, Charge Exchange Recombination Spectroscopy provides accurate and time resolved measurements of the ions in large volume fusion devices. In acknowledgement of Nicol Peacock's role in the development of these techniques, still at the forefront of plasma fusion research, this paper describes the evolution of this diagnostic method.

[en] The flux of charge exchange (CX) neutrals measured by neutral particle analysers (NPAs) is the line integral along the view line of the NPA and contains information about the ion energy distribution of the observed plasma. On the Tokamak a Configuration Variable (TCV) a single chord NPA is used to scan the plasma cross section by vertically displacing a reproducible discharge across its fixed line of sight. The ion temperature inferred from the passive CX flux as a function of the distance of the NPA chord to the magnetic axis is used to obtain an ion temperature profile T_i(ρ). To model the neutral source, simulations of neutral particle penetration from the edge and the neutralization processes are reported. In plasmas with thermalized ion populations, the NPA hydrogen or deuterium temperature profiles agree with the carbon ion temperature profile measured by charge exchange recombination spectroscopy. Matching the simulation with synchronous NPA measurements of two plasma species provides absolute profiles of neutral particles densities and the isotopic composition of the plasma, which are required for the transport analysis. With further modelling, the ion temperature profile may be iteratively reconstructed from the CX spectrum without displacing the plasma

[en] Bulk plasma toroidal rotation is observed to invert spontaneously from counter to cocurrent direction in TCV (Tokamak a Configuration Variable) Ohmically heated discharges, in low confinement mode, without momentum input. The inversion occurs in high current discharges, when the plasma electron density exceeds a well-defined threshold. The transition between the two rotational regimes has been studied by means of density ramps. The results provide evidence of a change of the balance of nondiffusive momentum fluxes in the core of a plasma without an external drive

[en] This paper focuses on interpreting variations in the NPA measured energy distribution of neutral fluxes from the TCV high density H-mode plasma discharges with strong third harmonic electron cyclotron heating (P_X3>P_Ω). Two quasi-stationary regimes: ELMy H-mode and ELM-free H-mode, routinely and reproducibly obtained in TCV, with a plasma density 5-10x10¹⁹ m^-3, electron temperature 2-3 keV and ion temperature of 0.7-1.0 keV. The ELMy X3-heated H-mode plasma on TCV is significantly perturbed by ELMs, sawteeth activity and modes. In X3-heated plasmas ELMs are characterised by increased amplitudes and lower frequencies than are typical in ohmic H-modes with strong sawteeth synchronised with ELM cycle. The energy losses per ELM can exceed the 15% of the total stored energy and the plasma density and electron temperature profiles were resolved during the ELM cycle. NPA measurements in the presence of ELMs and sawteeth cannot be explained with the classical theory of two-body Coulomb electron-ion collisions alone. Additional effects (such as a modification of the ion temperature radial profile and/or ion redistribution in the coordinate and velocity space due to plasma perturbations) must be considered

[en] The first toroidal rotation measurements in TCV ohmic L-mode plasmas with no external momentum injection are presented. The toroidal velocity profile of the fully stripped carbon species is measured by active Charge eXchange Recombination Spectroscopy with a temporal resolution of typically 90 ms and a spatial resolution of 2.5 cm, about 1/10 of the plasma radius. The observed carbon velocity is of the order of the deuterium diamagnetic drift velocity and up to 1/5 of the deuterium thermal velocity. It is directed opposite to plasma current in the electron diamagnetic toroidal drift direction. The profile reverses when reversing the plasma current. The angular velocity profile is flat, or hollow, inside the sawtooth inversion radius and decreases quasi linearly towards the plasma edge. By vertically shifting the plasma magnetic axis within the TCV vessel the plasma edge velocity profile was measured with high resolution. Such experiments confirm that, close to the limiter, the stationary rotation velocity is close to zero or somewhat positive (co-current directed). This suggests that the angular momentum is not driven from the plasma edge. The maximum carbon velocity scales as v_φ,Max [km s^-1] = -12.5T_i/I_p [eV/kA] for a significant range of densities and values of the edge safety factor. Comparison with neoclassical predictions show that the TCV plasma rotation is mainly driven by radial electric fields, with a negligible contribution from the toroidal electric fields. The neoclassical theory of small toroidal rotation quantitatively and qualitatively disagrees with the experimental observation. An alternative empirical equation for the angular momentum flux, able to reproduce the measured stationary profile outside the inversion radius, is proposed

[en] A rapid algorithm for tomographic inversion is presented that allows post-discharge reconstruction of the soft x-ray (SXR) emissivity evolution in the Tokamak a configuration variable (TCV). Simultaneously, it determines the centre of gravity of the emissivity that may serve as a reliable measurement of the plasma position, that is independent of magnetic measurements. Tests of the algorithm were performed using shaped phantom datasets and all past SXR measurements were processed to obtain plasma position statistics. Multiple linear regression is applied in matching the results with the magnetic axis data. Systematic functionalities including magnetic field dependence and drift of the magnetic axis are observed. The joint resolution limit of magnetic and SXR position measurements at TCV is derived from the residual discrepancies and equals 2.2 and 3.1 mm in the radial and vertical directions, respectively

[en] Previous real-time sawtooth control scenarios using EC actuators have attempted to shorten or lengthen the sawtooth period by optimally positioning the EC absorption near the q = 1 surface. In new experiments we demonstrate for the first time that individual sawtooth crashes can be repetitively induced at predictable times by reducing the stabilizing ECCD power after a predetermined time from the preceding crash. Other stabilizing actuators (e.g. ICRF, NBI) are expected to produce similar effects. Armed with these results, we present a new sawtooth / NTM control paradigm for improved performance in burning plasmas. The potential appearance of neo-classical tearing modes, triggered by long period sawtooth crashes even at low beta, becomes predictable and therefore amenable to preemptive ECCD. The ITER Electron Cyclotron Upper Launcher (EC-UL) design incorporates the needed functionalities for this method to be applied. The methodology and associated TCV experiments will be presented.

[en] The threshold power for the transition into H-mode with hydrogen (H), deuterium (D), and helium (He) as majority ion species has been evaluated from a series of dedicated experiments on the tokamak TCV. Identical plasma configurations with a single-null X-point and favorable direction of the ion ∇B drift have been chosen. The input power was varied via the plasma current and L–H transitions were obtained with Ohmic heating alone. Under these conditions and for electron densities in the range of 6–7 · 10¹⁹ m⁻³ the threshold power compared to D increased by 1.75 for H and 1.45 for He, respectively. For D and He, the measured power levels are in good agreement with the predictions of the commonly used scaling law. In the case of H, transitions into H-mode were observed already at power levels of about 80% of the expected threshold power. Our results have also been analyzed on the basis of a physics-based scaling, which includes more parameters and applies to all ion species. Using the case of D as reference, we find that the increase in threshold power for He follows the predictions. For H there is a noticeable disagreement which may partly be explained by uncertainties in the relevant plasma parameters. The new scaling implies a strong dependence on the values of the electron temperature at the separatrix. For the present study, only data up to a normalized radius of 0.95 were available. More precise measurements of the edge temperature profiles may help to resolve the issue. (paper)

[en] Carbon ion velocity profiles are measured in TCV with a charge exchange diagnostic using a negligibly perturbing diagnostic neutral beam. These 'intrinsic' rotation profiles are measured up to the plasma edge in the toroidal and poloidal directions for both limited and diverted plasma configurations in Ohmic plasmas and in the presence of strong second harmonic electron cyclotron heating (ECH). Absolute toroidal velocities are shown to scale with peak ion temperature and inversely with plasma current. The plasma edge rotation is always small in limited configurations but evolves smoothly with the core density for diverted configurations. A strong intrinsic rotation builds up in the plasma core in the counter-current direction for limited configurations but is observed in the co-current direction for diverted plasmas. Unexpectedly, above a given density threshold, the rotation profile reverses to the co-current direction for limited configurations (and surprisingly, in the counter-current direction for diverted configurations). This threshold density is found to depend on plasma current, the presence of ECH and the magnetic topology. Poloidal velocity measurements are used to deduce the radial electric field change across the transition. A strong dependence of the rotation profile on plasma triangularity is reported and possible physics models for these observations are discussed. The origin of the momentum drive, its reversal and its magnitude are not yet clearly understood even for these relatively 'simple' experimental configurations

[en] Predicting intrinsic plasma rotation and its shear, which often help stabilize plasma instabilities affecting plasma performance, is important for prospective fusion grade devices. Although rotation in ITER-like scenarios has been extrapolated from measured experimental plasma rotation data, little is understood about the underlying mechanisms governing either the generation or dissipation of momentum in a tokamak plasma. This paper reports on studies of intrinsic toroidal and poloidal plasma rotation from charge exchange spectroscopy using a low power diagnostic beam on the TCV tokamak [Tonetti et al., in Proceedings of the Symposium on Fusion Technology (1991), p. 587] that drives negligible toroidal velocity. In TCV, plasma behavior can be separated by the core and edge regions. In limited configurations, the core rotates in the counter-current direction and can reverse to the co-current direction with a <10% increase in the plasma density. This is different for diverted configurations where the core rotates in the co-current direction reversing to the counter-current direction at higher plasma densities. For all these situations, core toroidal momentum is strongly transported by plasma sawteeth oscillations. In contrast, the toroidal edge rotation is close to stationary for limited discharges but evolves with plasma density for diverted configurations. Theoretical models that predict a change in momentum transport from turbulence have previously been suggested to provide a mechanism that might explain these phenomena. In this paper, mode activity that changes at the toroidal velocity reversal, is identified as a new possible candidate. In the absence of an available model that can explain these basic phenomena, this paper presents observations and, where possible, scaling of the rotation profiles with some of the major plasma parameters such as current, density and shape to guide the development of a physics model for use in improving the extrapolation of the rotation amplitude and profiles to future devices