Plasma-wall self-organization in magnetic fusion

This paper introduces the concept of plasma-wall self-organization (PWSO) in magnetic fusion. The basic idea is the existence of a time delay in the feedback loop relating radiation and impurity production on divertor plates. Both a zero and a onedimensional description of PWSO are provided. They lead to an iterative equation whose equilibrium fixed point is unstable above some threshold. This threshold corresponds to a radiative density limit, which can be reached for a ratio of total radiated power to total input power as low as 1/2. When detachment develops and physical sputtering dominates, this limit is progressively pushed to very high values if the radiation of non-plate impurities stays low. Therefore, PWSO comes with two basins for this organization: the usual one with a density limit, and a new one with density freedom, in particular for machines using high-Z materials. Two basins of attraction of PWSO are shown to exist for the tokamak during start-up, with a high density one leading to this freedom. This basin might be reached by a proper tailoring of ECRH assisted ohmic start-up in present middle-size tokamaks, mimicking present stellarator start-up. In view of the impressive tokamak DEMO wall load challenge, it is worth considering and checking this possibility, which comes with that of more margins for ITER and of smaller reactors.

A tutorial on radio frequency sheath physics for magnetically confined fusion devices

Radio frequency (RF) sheaths occur under a wide variety of conditions when RF waves, material surfaces and plasma coexist. RF sheaths are of special importance in describing the interaction of ion cyclotron range of frequency (ICRF) waves with the boundary plasma in tokamaks, stellarators and other magnetic confinement devices. In this article the basic physics of RF sheaths is discussed in the context of magnetic fusion research. Techniques for modelling RF sheaths, their interaction with RF wave fields and the resulting consequences are highlighted. The article is intended as a guide for the early-career ICRF researcher, but it may equally well serve to provide an overview of basic RF sheath concepts and modelling directions for any interested fusion scientist.

Transport in Fusion Plasmas: Is the Tail Wagging the Dog?

Turbulent plasmas notably self-organize to higher energy states upon application of additional free energy sources or modification of edge operating conditions. Mechanisms whereby such bifurcations occur have been actively debated for decades, mostly on the basis of reduced models. Here we unravel a surprising causal chain of events in the onset of an improved confinement state, by applying generic entropy-based and information theoretic measures to the primitive kinetic equations. Interfacial contamination of a large, stable region (the ‘dog’) by locally-borne peripheral turbulent fluctuations (the ‘tail’) is found to be central to explaining transport properties, globally. These results, highly relevant to the quest for magnetic fusion advocate the use of such data-driven methods to many problems in fluids and plasmas where interfacial turbulent contamination is active.