Alcator C-Mod Run 1030507 Information

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Miniproposals
Miniproposal:331
Date Filed: 4/17/2003
Title:Initial Locked Mode Studies with the Non-axisymmetric Control Coils
First Author:Steve Wolfe
Session Leader:Robert Granetz (shots 1-27)
Session Leader:Ian Hutchinson (shots 1-27)

Operators
Session leader(s):Robert Granetz,Ian Hutchinson
Physics operator(s):Steve Wolfe
Engineering operator(s):Bill Byford,Gary Dekow,Bill Parkin

Engineering Operator Run Comment
MP#331 Locked Mode Studies with Non-axisymmetric Coils; SL: Hutch/Granet

Session Leader Plans

Physics Operators Plans

Session Leader Summaries

Physics Operator Summaries
Entered: Jul 7 2004 04:37:17:707PM
Author: To Be Determined
Physics Operator Summary for Wednesday, 1030507

MP#331 Initial Locked Mode Studies with Non-axisymmetric coil set
SL: Hutch (in absentia?), Granetz, (wolfe)
PO: Wolfe
EO: Dekow,Byord,Parkin

Setup and Plan:
---------------
ECDC overnight in D2 at 2e-4 Torr, stopping by 07:00.
Bake at 60 C overnight as well, if possible.

Run begins at 9:00 and ends at 17:00.

Power systems the same as on 1030425011 (1 MA, 5.4 T, lower single null)
C-Coil: patch panel set up as [+Dtop,-Dbot,-Jtop,+Jbot], NOT enabled for first
shot

Gas setup:
fill B-Top with 6 psi D2 Hybrid enabled (PG4)
fill B-side lower with 1 psi Ar Hybrid enabled (PG1)
fill B-side upper with 10 psi D2 Hybrid DISABLED (PG2) (for ECDC)
fill C-side with 30 psi D2 Hybrid enabled (PG3)

Enable the following gate valves, assuming no vacuum problems:
ECE, DNB, VUV

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RF Setup: All 4 transmitters in Remote (but NOT in Run On) by 08:00.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Run Plan:
--------

The idea is to determine the threshold current in the non-axisymmetric coils
required to induce a locked mode in a 1MA moderate density plasma, as a
function of mode spectrum and helicity. Magnetics (and other) data will be
used to try to characterize the phase of such induced perturbations, and if
possible the island size, relative to the orientation and amplitude of the
vacuum perturbation.

Assuming this part of the experiment is successful, we will then try to apply
the information gained to optimize suppression of a naturally occuring locked
mode at lower density.

I. Reproduce shot 1030425011, a 1MA, nl04=6e19 discharge, to see if locked mode
still appears. If not, don't waste time looking for it (yet).[1 shot]

II. Increase density to nl04=1×10^20 m-2 or sufficient to remove locked
mode. [1-3 shots]

IIIa With patch panel set to +Dtop -Dbot -Jtop +Jbot, program a ramp from
zero to 3700A (it probably won't get over 2300) between t=0.6sec
and t=1.5sec, then back down at EoF. If a locked mode appears, take
additional shots at slower ramp rates to refine threshold value, perhaps
ramp back down to determine hysteresis. If no locked mode
appears, try reducing nl04 to 7×10^19 m-2 and repeat; if this results in
a locked mode, turn off C-coil for a shot and make sure locked mode goes
away, then proceed as above. [2-6 shots]

IIIb Reverse current, i.e. -Dtop +Dbot +Jtop -Jbot and establish current
threshold for onset of locked mode (if any) as in IIIa [1-3 shots]

IV Change patch panel taps to +Dtop +Dbot -Jtop -Jbot, corresponding to the
black solid curve in Figure 2 (symmetric spectrum with large m=1,
reduced m=2). As in case III, establish a threshold, if any, with
positive current and then reverse the current sense to
-Dtop -Dbot +Jtop +Jbot. [2-4 shots]

V Change patch panel to +Btop -Dbot -Gtop +Jbot, corresponding to the blue
triangle case in Fig. 2. This is supposed to have the highest
amplitude of m=1 and m=2 in the correct helicity. Repeat the
threshold determination for this configuration and with reverse
current -Btop +Dbot +Gtop -Jbot. [2-4 shots]

VI Change patch panel to +Btop +Dbot -Gtop -Jbot, corresponding to the
reversed helicity case (green diamonds). This is expected to have
the least effective field pattern for causing a locked mode, and
hence the highest threshold, unless I got the signs wrong. Again
establish a threshold current, if any, for positive and negative
polarity (-Btop -Dbot +Gtop +Jbot). [2-4 shots]

VIIa Reduce the density until a locked mode spontaneously appears with no
current in the non-axisymmetric coils. [1-3 shots]
VIIb Based on results from steps III - VI, and if possible on estimates of
the phase of the mode in VIIa , choose a patch panel configuration
and current level and attempt to suppress the onset of the mode. It
may be best to employ a constant current level, or perhaps a slow
ramp, varying the current shot by shot. [2-5 shots]

VIII If time permits, explore thresholds for excitation and suppression with
additional tap configurations, such as using only two coils in
series to sample more toroidal phase options at reduced total
amplitude.

Results
-------

The run went pretty well. All of steps I-VIIB were completed. We were
successful in generating locked modes at 1MA, nl04=1e20 in only one
configuration and one polarity, namely the quadrupole of IIIB (-Dtop +Dbot
+Jtop -Jbot). The threshold current in this configuration is between 1300A and
1800A, based on shots 8,10,12,and 14; shot #24 was a repeat of the conditions
of shot 8, and showed reproducibility. We were also successful in suppressing
a natural locked mode at 1MA, nl04=6e19, using maximum current of 2300A with
the opposite polarity, +Dtop -Dbot -Jtop +Jbot (shots #25,26,27). This was the
same polarity used on 1030425.

The fact that we were unable to generate a locked mode with maximum current in
the other four-coil series combinations indicates that we are marginal with
respect to current. It also implies that the existing error field is quite
large. We should see about getting a higher voltage supply on the coils for
this purpose, and possibly a higher current as well. It is especially
surprising that the non-symmetric (helical) configurations were unsuccessful
in producing a locked mode, since they have essentially the same 2/1 amplitude
as the quadrupoles and nearly twice the 1/1; of course, the toroidal phase is
different, so it may be that they were always bucking one component or the
other of the existing error field.

The most sensitive magnetic signature of the locked mode seems to be the
BP26DE-JK difference, which shows a very sharp feature with amplitude of
~10mT; however, this pair also showed some erratic behavior, possibly a
baseline drift. It was not clear that the sign of the locked mode perturbation
on a given pair was the same as the sign of the response to the coil in the
absence of the mode; this needs to be investigated.

John was looking at rotation and, especially on the natural locked mode #25,
saw the rotation go from counter to zero, and on the suppressed case #27 it
continued spinning. I believe that FRECE was taking data, but I didn't get a
chance to look to see if an island was visible in the profile. Certainly both
the natural and induced locked modes took substantial bites out of the stored
energy and the density, as well as suppressing (or changing) the sawteeth and
increasing the Halpha.

Other Issues:
---------

We went through a long period of alternating fizzles between shots 4-17,
probably because I had done too much playing at getting rid of the hard
x-rays. Shots 18-27 all ran successfully and only the last had hards; it's not
clear why, but a startup from that sequence may be successful again. Among
other things, I had tweaked the EF3_volt and pulse gas in seg1; I did one IC_EF4
tweak but put it back after a fizzle.

PCS behaved a little funny on initial setup this morning. I imported seg2 from
1030425011 and changed the programming of the Acoil and on load/clean I got
warnings about Seg2 wires P11 and P12 having been renamed since they were
drawn; these wires were "zero_11" and "zero_12" and had not been renamed. I
had to actually touch/move a point in each to get rid of the warning. Factor
screens also popped up for IC_EF4 and Ip, which had not been
changed. Accepting these once was sufficient to not see them again.
I sent a message to jas about it; seems probably harmless.

There was some confusion about how the patch panel changes needed to be
done. When I specified the reverse polarity configurations the engineers were
actually changing all the connections to match, rather than just swapping the
power supply leads. This does the right thing, but takes a lot longer. I
should probably have specified the reversed polarity quadrupole, e.g., as
-Jbot +Jtop +Dtop -Dbot instead of -Dbot +Dbot +Jtop -Jbot.

Scorecard
---------

Tests 0
Duds 0
Fizzles 7
Plasmas 20
------- --
Shots 27


Session Leader Comments

Physics Operator Comments
May 7 2003 07:41:57:830AMSteve WolfeSetting up for non-axi coil run

Import seg2 from 1030425011 (1MA nl04 program for 4e19). This shot
had a locked mode at a density of 6e19. Acoil current programmed for 3700 (but wasn't run on that shot)
Startup is from yesterday: Br=.0015, EF4=-1320, PG4=24msec, ef3volt=2650,2600,2550,2250

Change Acoil program: 0.5 sec 0
0.60 700A
1.3sec 3700A
1.5 700
1.7 0
seg2 pg3 programming looks strange, but I'll leave it for the first shot.

Do a load. Got a message about icef4 factor? and Ip factor. Don't know why these are coming up.
I'm also getting a message anout waveform in wire :p11 seg2 not being the same as when it was last drawn?
This seems to be a zero'd wire. What's going on?
Also :p12 whichi is also zero.
May 7 2003 07:52:55:077AMSteve WolfeTry taking a test shot to make sure the pcs tree doesn't have a problem.
test shot #22 looks ok.
May 7 2003 08:00:57:353AMSteve WolfeDo another load, just to see. I get the warnings on p11 and p12 of seg 2 again.
It says the name has changed since it was last drawn. Looks like a bug; the zero button
was used long ago on this. Just to make sure it goes away, I'll move a point on the
waveforms for zero_11 and zero_12 (and zero_10 just to be sure)
Load it one more time. No warnings this time. Have to ask jas to look at the code
that generates this message; hybrid test shot #22 will have the mixed times, if they
are real.
May 7 2003 08:47:22:613AMSteve WolfeFor shot#1, raise the Ar puff from 40 to 50msec
May 7 2003 09:10:11:257AM1030507001Steve Wolfeshot#1: Hung in init. Josh cleared it after 3minutes
plasma, lots of hards. full length.
No locked mode, unless it's ther the whole time, density was low (<4e19 until the tci crapped out).
Zmeter signal looks dead.

next shot: raise nl04 to 8e19
May 7 2003 09:31:13:867AM1030507002Steve Wolfeshot#2: raise nl04 to 8e19, draw pg3 to ~35V through shot.
icef4 from -1320 to -1310 in seg 1

plasma. Still lots of hards,
looks like a locked mode around 1.39, judging from the ECE,
small break in slope on BP diff signals at 1.31, need to raise nl a litle more.

next shot: nl4 to 1e20, raise ef3 voltage
May 7 2003 09:47:27:533AM1030507003Steve Wolfeshot#3: nl4 to 1e20, raise ef3 voltage to 2750, 2650
FRECE pci is hanging in INIT every shot; twf is looking into it, I hope
plasma, no hards.
No locked mode.

Next shot: Turn on the C-coil (+Dtop -Dbot -Jtop +Jbot) ramp
May 7 2003 10:08:05:800AM1030507004Steve Wolfeshot#4: Turn on the C-coil (+Dtop -Dbot -Jtop +Jbot) ramp from .6 to 1.3sec
fizzle. may have overdone the EF3

The pickup on the ccoil shunt trace seems to be correlated with the chopper
current; maybe the EFC TMX supply?

next shot: drop ef4 back to -1320A
May 7 2003 10:16:26:970AM1030507005Steve Wolfeshot#5:drop ef4 back to -1320A
Turn on the C-coil (+Dtop -Dbot -Jtop +Jbot) ramp from .6 to 1.3sec
plasma, no hards, no locked mode.
Only got up to 2100A it looks like; shunt trace is noisy, still has -300A offset

Next shot: move on to IIIb (reverse polarity)
May 7 2003 10:41:39:130AM1030507006Steve Wolfeshot#6: move on to IIIb (-Dtop +Dbot +Jtop -Jbot)
I'll boost the top program value to 4000A

plasma, no hards. Maybe something coming in very late in the pulse, around 1.36
Lose sawteeth in rampdown.

Next shot: Bring C-coil current up early and hold it flat.
May 7 2003 10:51:56:587AM1030507007Steve Wolfeshot#7: Bring C-coil current up to 4000 (demand) at 0.7 sec, flat to 1.3
I think I'm just looking at the ramp-down on shot #6, not a plasma effect.
If this doesn't show anything, I'll move on.

fizzle! Try dropping the EF3V back some
May 7 2003 11:07:20:263AM1030507008Steve Wolfeshot#8: EF3volt down 50V at each point I raised, except down 200 at 20msec
C-coil current up to 4000 (demand) at 0.7 sec, flat to 1.3
plasma, with hards. Disrupted at 1.6sec with growing vertcal instab.
Definite locked mode from 1.07sec on, as seen on ECE

next shot: Start looking for the threshold; I'm going to try stepping it
down instead of ramping, since it may be time-dependent in the shot.


May 7 2003 11:18:23:110AM1030507009Steve Wolfeshot#9: Acoil demand to 3000A
EF3V at 20msec from 2450 to 2550
Fizzle! Put the EF3V back I guess.



May 7 2003 11:35:02:853AM1030507010Steve Wolfeshot#10: Acoil demand to 3000A
EF3V at 20msec from 2550 to 2450; while I'm at it, raise Ar puff to 60ms

plasma, no hards. locked mode at .82sec, acoil current around 1800A

next shot: drop Acoil current by 1000A (demand=2000)


May 7 2003 11:42:47:490AM1030507011Steve Wolfeshot#11: drop Acoil current by 1000A (demand=2000)
fizzle again. What happened to thr robust startup?

next shot: drop the gas 2ms

May 7 2003 12:01:38:710PM1030507012Steve Wolfeshot#12: pg4 to 22msec; drop Acoil current by 1000A (demand=2000)
plasma, no hards, no locked mode.
I think we've bracketed the threshold between 1800A and 1300A (this control is very non-linear!)

next shot: Take one more shot and ramp up and down, look for thresh and hysteresis
May 7 2003 12:11:48:270PM1030507013Steve Wolfeshot#13: ramp from 2000->3000 (at 1.0s)->2000 (at 1.3s)
fizzle. Andy points out that the base pressure has been relatively high (1.5e-6 on all the fizzles)

next shot: drop the fill another 2msec
May 7 2003 12:26:49:090PM1030507014Steve Wolfeshot#14: pg4 to 20msec; ramp from 2000->3000 (at 1.0s)->2000 (at 1.3s)
plasma, hards again. looks like a locked node late, around 1.25sec, could be the
rampdown. This one is inconclusive, but I'm going to move on to next tap setting

May 7 2003 12:50:43:847PM1030507015Steve Wolfeshot#15: Tap setting to +Dtop +Dbot -Jtop -Jbot, program to 4000 from .7 to 1.3sec
fizzle again,pressure was nice and low. In fact, it bounced and didn't recover; that's a
first (for today anyway).

next shot: raise pg4 2ms
May 7 2003 01:03:07:833PM1030507016Steve Wolfeshot#16: pg4 back to 22ms. Tap setting to +Dtop +Dbot -Jtop -Jbot, program to 4000 from .7 to 1.3sec
plasma, hards, no locked mode.

next shot: reverse polarity to -Dtop -Dbot +Jtop +Jbot
May 7 2003 01:29:01:547PM1030507017Steve Wolfeshot#17: reverse polarity to -Dtop -Dbot +Jtop +Jbot
fizzle. Moved inside! Time to undo the EF3V some more.
May 7 2003 01:55:31:117PM1030507018Steve Wolfeshot#18:EF3V at 20msec from 2450 to 2350. reverse polarity to -Dtop -Dbot +Jtop +Jbot
Plasma, no hards. I'm not positive I applied the above change to ef3V
No locked mode. Something funny on bp26de-jk around 1.25sec, but I don't see anything else.
No sign of anything on ECE signals.

That means that the "dipole" phasing is ineffective in either polarity (at these currents)
This would make sense if the m=1 is not effective, since this configuration
has ~half the m=2 (but twice the m=1) of the quadrupole, and half current was below threshold for
quadrupole in the best polarity.

next shot: move on to step V.
May 7 2003 02:13:37:017PM1030507019Steve Wolfeshot#19:move on to step V: +Btop -Dbot -Gtop +Jbot, helical connection.
Note that we will experience spurios pickup signals on the upper Bp loops
whose cables pass under the Btop coil for these settings.
I'll reload the previous pcs to make sure the EF3V change was
applied, although it looks like it was from the startup.

plasma, no hards. No locked mode.

next shot: reverse polarity
May 7 2003 02:58:10:460PM1030507020Steve Wolfeshot#20:reverse polarity -Btop +Dbot +Gtop -Jbot
There may have been some confusion on the way these have been being
hooked up. Somehow, Bill didn't just reverse the power supply leads
for this change. It does look like the present setup is correct as
stated.

The way it is presently set, the + supply goes to -Btop, the +Btop goes
to +Dbot, -Dbot goes to +Gtop, -Gtop goes to -Jbot and +Jbot goes to the -supply.

Plasma, no hards. No locked mode.

Next shot: Actually reverse the supply leads, leaving the intermediates the same.

May 7 2003 03:08:14:557PM1030507021Steve Wolfeshot#21: Actually reverse the supply leads, leaving the intermediates the same; this is almost
certainly going to be the same as 19, but I want to be sure.

Plasma, no hards, no locked mode. Maybe I got the helicity wrong.
Connection is -supply to -Btop,+Btop to +Dtop, -Dtop to +Gtop, -Gtop to -Jbot, +Jtop to +supply
which amounts to +Btop -Dbot -Gtop +Jbot

next shot: Move on to #VI, +Btop +Dtop -Gtop -Jbot

May 7 2003 03:29:39:477PM1030507022Steve Wolfeshot#22: Move on to #VI, +Btop +Dtop -Gtop -Jbot
The engineering control panel widget is apparently screwing up the
entries for the patch panel. I'll have to go back and put them in by
hand and send another message to jas about this.

plasma, no hards, no locked mode. the 26 de-jk seems to be ramping
from t=0 to the end of the shot, must have a bad connection.

next shot: reverse the polarity

May 7 2003 03:45:51:910PM1030507023Steve Wolfeshot#23: reverse the polarity: -Btop -Dtop +Gtop +Jbot
plasma, no hards, no locked mode. We haven't succeeded in
making one since shot #10 (maybe 14), with the reverse pol quadrupole.

next shot: Go back to condition of #8 -Dtop +Dbot +Jtop -Jbot

May 7 2003 04:08:59:800PM1030507024Steve Wolfeshot#24: Go back to condition of #8 -Dtop +Dbot +Jtop -Jbot, see if it still works.
plasma, no hards, disrupted at 1.55sec
locked mode at 1sec. It's back.

next shot: turn off C-coil, lower the density
May 7 2003 04:24:59:057PM1030507025Steve Wolfeshot#25: turn off C-coil, nl4 to 6e19, drop the gas 2msec because of the disruption on 24
p[lasma disrupted at 1.5s, locked mode at 1sec
Looks amazingly similar
H/D is up a bit (.12 to .1), presumably from the disruption

next shot: turn on the acoil in revesed polarity from 24
May 7 2003 04:46:51:483PM1030507026Steve Wolfeshot#26: acoil back on, +Dtop -Dbot -Jtop +Jbot
plasma, no hards, interferometer went berserk, but feedback ok
No locked mode, except maybe at the end It may have worked!

Next shot: Extend acoil pulse to 1.5sec
May 7 2003 05:00:18:043PM1030507027Steve Wolfeshot#27: Extend acoil pulse to 1.5sec, still +Dtop -Dbot -Jtop +Jbot
plasma, hards are back, disrupted at 1.76sec, no locked mode.

I think it works.

Engineering Operator Comments
ShotTimeTypeStatusComment
108:59:28:210AMPlasmaOk
209:22:06:590AMPlasmaOk
309:41:18:790AMPlasmaOk
409:56:26:327AMPlasmaOk
510:09:10:003AMPlasmaOk
610:35:35:653AMPlasmaOk
710:48:43:830AMPlasmaOk
811:01:27:943AMPlasmaOk
911:14:24:637AMPlasmaOk
1011:27:21:547AMPlasmaOk
1111:40:06:863AMPlasmaOk
1211:53:18:757AMPlasmaOk
1312:07:30:373PMPlasmaOk
1412:22:12:507PMPlasmaOk
1512:44:02:960PMPlasmaOk
1612:56:51:450PMPlasmaOk
1701:24:31:803PMPlasmaOk
1801:37:11:650PMPlasmaOk
1902:07:58:947PMPlasmaOk
2002:42:04:233PMPlasmaOk
2102:59:57:433PMPlasmaOk
2203:23:29:140PMPlasmaOk
2303:38:55:523PMPlasmaOk
2404:04:36:667PMPlasmaOk
2504:17:53:290PMPlasmaOk
2604:39:46:137PMPlasmaOk
2704:56:07:490PMPlasmaOk