Observation of nonthermal electrons further acceleration and long-lasting associated with magnetic reconnection and turbulence bursting in tokamak plasma
Vital to magnetized plasma performance, the acceleration of nonthermal electrons significantly influences the current drive of radio frequency (RF) waves in plasma. In Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), we observed nonthermal electrons initially <215 keV in energy, being locall...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Nuclear Fusion |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/ad8bda |
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| author | Chaowei Mai Liqing Xu Shiyao Lin Liqun Hu Yiping Chen Tianfu Zhou Xi Feng Adi Liu Zhengping Luo Yan Chao Haipeng Quan Yubo Zhang |
| author_facet | Chaowei Mai Liqing Xu Shiyao Lin Liqun Hu Yiping Chen Tianfu Zhou Xi Feng Adi Liu Zhengping Luo Yan Chao Haipeng Quan Yubo Zhang |
| author_sort | Chaowei Mai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Vital to magnetized plasma performance, the acceleration of nonthermal electrons significantly influences the current drive of radio frequency (RF) waves in plasma. In Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), we observed nonthermal electrons initially <215 keV in energy, being locally accelerated to 600 keV within 100 milliseconds, which corresponds to the total growth time of the magnetic island. Surprisingly, these fast electrons (FEs) lasted for 1.4 s, several times longer than the estimated relaxation time of 0.26 s, and exceeded 1/10 of the discharge length. Turbulence generation at island’s X point is attributed to the unexpected confinement and repopulation of FEs. This phenomenon may have positive implications for the steady-state long pulse H mode operation in EAST, especially regarding non-inductive current sustainment. For future RF electron heating-dominant devices, the mechanisms elucidated in this study have immediate implications for optimizing RF current drive efficiency. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ba4ecf1db613423a9573b4bffd35fc4f |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0029-5515 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nuclear Fusion |
| spelling | doaj-art-ba4ecf1db613423a9573b4bffd35fc4f2025-08-20T02:14:10ZengIOP PublishingNuclear Fusion0029-55152024-01-0165101600110.1088/1741-4326/ad8bdaObservation of nonthermal electrons further acceleration and long-lasting associated with magnetic reconnection and turbulence bursting in tokamak plasmaChaowei Mai0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9981-2620Liqing Xu1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7388-6055Shiyao Lin2Liqun Hu3Yiping Chen4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8045-6256Tianfu Zhou5Xi Feng6Adi Liu7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3164-7320Zhengping Luo8Yan Chao9https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9957-2177Haipeng Quan10https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0420-034XYubo Zhang11Guangdong Ocean University , Zhanjiang 524088, People’s Republic of ChinaInstitute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Hefei 230031, People’s Republic of ChinaInstitute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Hefei 230031, People’s Republic of ChinaInstitute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Hefei 230031, People’s Republic of ChinaInstitute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Hefei 230031, People’s Republic of ChinaInstitute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Hefei 230031, People’s Republic of ChinaUniversity of Science and Technology of China , Hefei 230026, People’s Republic of ChinaUniversity of Science and Technology of China , Hefei 230026, People’s Republic of ChinaInstitute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Hefei 230031, People’s Republic of ChinaInstitute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Hefei 230031, People’s Republic of ChinaInstitute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Hefei 230031, People’s Republic of China; Anhui University of Science and Technology , Huainan 232001, People’s Republic of ChinaInstitute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Hefei 230031, People’s Republic of China; University of Science and Technology of China , Hefei 230026, People’s Republic of ChinaVital to magnetized plasma performance, the acceleration of nonthermal electrons significantly influences the current drive of radio frequency (RF) waves in plasma. In Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), we observed nonthermal electrons initially <215 keV in energy, being locally accelerated to 600 keV within 100 milliseconds, which corresponds to the total growth time of the magnetic island. Surprisingly, these fast electrons (FEs) lasted for 1.4 s, several times longer than the estimated relaxation time of 0.26 s, and exceeded 1/10 of the discharge length. Turbulence generation at island’s X point is attributed to the unexpected confinement and repopulation of FEs. This phenomenon may have positive implications for the steady-state long pulse H mode operation in EAST, especially regarding non-inductive current sustainment. For future RF electron heating-dominant devices, the mechanisms elucidated in this study have immediate implications for optimizing RF current drive efficiency.https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/ad8bdatokamakreconnectionaccelerationturbulence |
| spellingShingle | Chaowei Mai Liqing Xu Shiyao Lin Liqun Hu Yiping Chen Tianfu Zhou Xi Feng Adi Liu Zhengping Luo Yan Chao Haipeng Quan Yubo Zhang Observation of nonthermal electrons further acceleration and long-lasting associated with magnetic reconnection and turbulence bursting in tokamak plasma Nuclear Fusion tokamak reconnection acceleration turbulence |
| title | Observation of nonthermal electrons further acceleration and long-lasting associated with magnetic reconnection and turbulence bursting in tokamak plasma |
| title_full | Observation of nonthermal electrons further acceleration and long-lasting associated with magnetic reconnection and turbulence bursting in tokamak plasma |
| title_fullStr | Observation of nonthermal electrons further acceleration and long-lasting associated with magnetic reconnection and turbulence bursting in tokamak plasma |
| title_full_unstemmed | Observation of nonthermal electrons further acceleration and long-lasting associated with magnetic reconnection and turbulence bursting in tokamak plasma |
| title_short | Observation of nonthermal electrons further acceleration and long-lasting associated with magnetic reconnection and turbulence bursting in tokamak plasma |
| title_sort | observation of nonthermal electrons further acceleration and long lasting associated with magnetic reconnection and turbulence bursting in tokamak plasma |
| topic | tokamak reconnection acceleration turbulence |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/ad8bda |
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