Alcator C-Mod Run 1050330 Information

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Miniproposals
Miniproposal:417
Date Filed: 2/24/2005
Title:Plasma performance, boronization and ICRF heating effectiveness with high-Z antenna guards and all-m
First Author:Yijun Lin
Session Leader:Yijun Lin (shots 1-27)

Operators
Session leader(s):Yijun Lin
Physics operator(s):Earl Marmar
Engineering operator(s):Andy Pfeiffer,Bill Byford,Ed Fitzgerald

Engineering Operator Run Comment
mp417

Session Leader Plans
Entered: Mar 29 2005 04:50:48:007PM
Author: Yijun Lin
MP417 (day 2 of pre-boronization)
"Plasma performance, boronization and ICRF heating effectiveness with
high-Z antenna guards and all metal surface"

(Let's do as much as possible of the run plan)

engineering/gas system setup the same as 1050329.

<= 5 shots: ECE cutoff for Thomson calibration.

5 shots: Argon puff (calibration of bolometry and estimate of RF efficiency).
Puff Argon to ohmic plasma until 100\% radiated power,
then repeat a shot with 3 MW RF to 100\% radiated power.

5 shots: Repeat above with Neon puff.

5 shots: Nitrogen puff. 3 MW RF power. Start with small puff
until 100\% radiated power.

3 shots: No puff. Repeat at 3 MW to see whether the N effect lasts.

6 shots: L-H threshold.
Ramping up RF power from 0.5 to 3 MW.
Density scan nl04 = 0.8, 1.0, and 1.2e20 m^-2.
Also current scan at 0.8 MA and 1.0 MA.

4 shots: Performance vs density.
density scan nl04 = 0.7, 0.8, 1.0, and 1.1e20 m^-2 at the max RF power.

2 shots: Heating hysteresis.
RF notch (1 MW dip, 20 ms length) at 40 ms and 80 ms after the RF power on.
Max RF power. Fiducial plasma.

5 shots: Density scan at L-mode inner wall limited plasmas. Check the scaling with
density in L mode confinement.
nl04 = 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0 and 1.1 e20 m^{-2} at max RF power (~4 MW).

Physics Operators Plans
Entered: Mar 30 2005 05:50:42:203PM
Author: Earl Marmar
Engineering setup for Wednesday, 30 Mar 2005

MP #417 Plasma performance, boronization and ICRF heating effectiveness
with high-Z antenna guards

Session leader: Lin
Physics operator: Marmar

Overnight ECDC in D2, bake at 60 C.

Run begins at 09:00 and ends at 17:00.

Power systems as on 1050329

A-coils in standard configuration (lock mode suppression):
+Dtop -Dbot -Jtop +Jbot (same as 1050316)

Gas Setup:
fill B-Top with 6 psi D2 Hybrid enabled (PG4)
fill B-side lower with 2 psi Ar Hybrid enabled (PG1)
leave B-side upper with He3 Hybrid disabled (PG2)
fill B-main (C-side) with 30 psi D2 Hybrid enabled (PG3)

Enable the following:
ECE gate valve, Z-bolo shutters
VUV gate valve

This will be a continuation from 1050329.

Session Leader Summaries
Entered: Mar 31 2005 09:45:40:667AM
Author: Yijun Lin
Summary:
Finished the following parts of the plan:
1. H-mode threshold at different current and density.
2. TS calibration using ECE cutoff.
3. 100% radiation shots usign Argon (Ohmic and RF) and Krypton (RF)

Accumulated data for comparison with future post-boronization.
Obtained more info for bolometry calibration.
Still many questions remain to be answered, for example, the
discrepancy in different bolometry measurements has not been resolved.




Physics Operator Summaries
Entered: Mar 30 2005 05:52:23:360PM
Author: Earl Marmar
Not the easiest day, but we did accomplish a fraction of the run plan.

Start was delayed ~1 hour because the big door to the cell had problems; it was left closed for the day,
which prevented any cell access after the first couple of shots.

We got some H-mode threshold data at 0.8 MA and 1.0 MA.

A few shots were devoted to Thomson/ECE-cutoff cross calibration. Data were obtained at 4.6 and 3.9 Tesla.

The remainder of the run was devoted to impurity puffing to look at bolometer measurements with highly radiative
plasmas. Both argon (shots 17-23) and krypton (24, 25) were used, in all cases using
the B side lower plenum (PG1). We fought the intrinsic non-linearities, whereby not much happens
to the plasma until the edge cools, after which the impurity screening disappears, radiation increases exponentially,
and the plasma disrupts. Using modulated puffs worked moderately well, using 2 PSI in the plenum for both
argon and krypton, and repetative puffs with duty factor of 40/160 ms and 60/160 ms. Adding RF power (3 MW),
allowed semi-steady conditions (shots 22-25).

We had problems with fizzles and duds today. As was the case yesterday, duds appeared, even though the
fields and gas looked ok (e.g. shot 11). One suspicion is that LH injection into post fizzle gas may be affecting
breakdown. The mechanism is unknown, but the phenomenon is reminiscent of a similar effect from ICRF vacuum
conditioning. ECDC was employed between shots 11 and 12 (D2, P=2e-4 gauge) for 20 minutes. Shot 12 was fine. The
LH was left off for the rest of the run. However, we also had a dud on shot 16, although in that case, the fill
pressure was quite low, partly because the pre-puff plenum was down to 5.1 PSI, instead of 6. The decrease occurred
primarily because of the between-shot ECDC; physops and engineering operators should keep an eye on this pressure,
especially after between-shot ECDC is employed.

Most shots had significant early hard x-ray. Shot 14 was the worst; it bounced during startup, and died at 0.375 s.

Shot 6 had an early disruption, apparently caused by a big natural injection.

There was one mystery no-TF dud (shot 18).

Summary:

Plasmas 17
fizzles 7
duds 2
P.S. dud 1

total cycles 27

Session Leader Comments
Mar 30 2005 10:37:19:927AM1050330001Yijun Linshot 01 (Reload shot 1050329007)
(L-H threshold scan. 1.0 MA, 0.85e20 nl)
Plasma: Bt 5.4 T, 1 MA, nl04 = 0.85e20m^-2.
RF power: ramping up 1-3.5 MW, [0.6, 1.35] sec.
Notch on J port at 1.2 sec
result: Multiple L-H transitions. (H modes did not stay).
First L-H transition at Prf = 1.1 MW.

Next: raise nl to 1.e20, same current
Mar 30 2005 10:38:12:427AM1050330002Yijun Linshot 02 (L-H threshold scan. 1.0 MA, 1.e20 nl)
Plasma: Bt 5.4 T, 1 MA, nl04 = 1.e20m^-2.
RF power: ramping up .4-3.5 MW, [0.6, 1.35] sec.
Notch on J port at 1.2 sec
result: ELMy H-mode. (stayed longer)
First L-H transition at Prf = 1.85 MW.

Next: raise nl to 1.2e20, same current
Mar 30 2005 10:51:56:173AM1050330003Yijun Linshot 03 (L-H threshold scan. 1.0 MA, 1.1e20 nl)
Plasma: Bt 5.4 T, 1 MA, nl04 = 1.1e20m^-2.
RF power: ramping up .4-3.5 MW, [0.6, 1.35] sec.
Notch on J port at 1.2 sec
result: H-mode. H89 ~ 1.3
First L-H transition at Prf = 2.2 MW.

Next: Lower Ip to 800 kA, same density
Mar 30 2005 11:07:07:127AM1050330004Yijun Linshot 04 (L-H threshold scan. .8 MA, 1.2e20 nl)
Plasma: Bt 5.4 T, .8 MA, nl04 = 1.2e20m^-2.
RF power: ramping up .4-3.5 MW, [0.6, 1.35] sec.
Notch on J port at 1.2 sec
result: H-mode.
First L-H transition at Prf = 2. MW.

Next: Lower density to 1.0e20 nl, same current
Mar 30 2005 11:15:22:487AM1050330005Yijun Linfizzle
Mar 30 2005 11:33:51:980AM1050330006Yijun Linshot 06 disrupted at 0.47 s

Mar 30 2005 11:49:08:240AM1050330007Yijun Linshot 07 (L-H threshold scan. .8 MA, .9e20 nl)
Plasma: Bt 5.4 T, .8 MA, nl04 = .9e20m^-2.
RF power: ramping up .4-3.5 MW, [0.6, 1.35] sec.
Notch on J port at 1.2 sec
result: H-mode.
First L-H transition at Prf = 1.5 MW.

Next: Lower density to .8e20 nl, same current

Mar 30 2005 11:59:38:877AM1050330008Yijun Linshot 08 (L-H threshold scan. .8 MA, .8e20 nl)
Plasma: Bt 5.4 T, .8 MA, nl04 = .8e20m^-2.
RF power: ramping up .4-3.5 MW, [0.6, 1.35] sec.
Notch on J port at 1.2 sec
result: H-mode.
First L-H transition at Prf = 1.7 MW.

Next: lower B field and raise density (Ohmic) for TS calibration (ECE cutoff)

Mar 30 2005 12:26:02:860PM1050330009Yijun Linfizzle
Mar 30 2005 12:31:41:687PM1050330010Yijun Linfizzle/dud
Mar 30 2005 01:01:44:790PM1050330011Yijun LinDud. ECDC for 20 minutes.
(LH was firing into vacuum in fizzles because it hasn't used the fizzle detector)
Mar 30 2005 01:21:59:887PM1050330012Yijun Linshot 12 (TS calibration)
Plasma: Bt 4.6 T, 1.2 MA, nl04 up to 2e20m^-2.
Some ECE cutoff at R ~0.78 m.

next shot: lower B field, and lower Ip.
Mar 30 2005 01:46:56:227PM1050330013Yijun Linshot 13 (TS calibration)
Plasma: Bt 3.9 T, 0.9 MA, nl04 up to 2e20m^-2.
ECE cutoff near the plasma center (good).

next shot: slight change and repeat
Mar 30 2005 01:47:20:757PM1050330014Yijun Linshot 14 early disruption at 0.38 sec.


Mar 30 2005 02:10:11:100PM1050330015Yijun Linshot 15 fizzle
next: Argon puff for bolometry calibration.


Mar 30 2005 02:21:59:557PM1050330016Yijun LinBt 5.4 T, .8 MA, nl 1e20 m^-2.
2 psi argon B-side lower.

Fizzle
Mar 30 2005 02:52:52:763PM1050330017Yijun Linshot 17 (Argon puff into ohmic plasma to get 100% radiation)
Plasma: Bt 5.4 T, .8 MA, nl 1e20 m^-2.
Result: Disruption at 0.73 sec.
V * I = 2.4 * 0.8 = 1.92 MW
Pradmain = 2.05 MW
valve was supposedly open at 0.5 sec and puff continueously.
Argon was only visible at 0.6 sec.
(2 psi argon B-side lower) disrupted after about 100 ms.

next: puff Argon in 60 ms out of every 160 ms, starting at 0.5 sec.


Mar 30 2005 02:53:10:047PM1050330018Yijun LinNo TF.
Mar 30 2005 03:17:30:443PM1050330019Yijun Linshot 19 Argon puff into ohmic plasma to get 100% radiation)
Plasma: Bt 5.4 T, .8 MA, nl 1e20 m^-2.
puff Argon in 60 ms out of every 160 ms, starting at 0.5 sec.
Result: Disruption at 0.93 sec.
V * I = 2.16* 0.78= 1.68 MW
Pradmain = 1.77 MW
V was going up the same time as Prad and complicated the situation.


Mar 30 2005 03:19:23:973PM1050330020Yijun Linfizzle
Mar 30 2005 03:39:23:333PM1050330021Yijun Linshot 21: Argon puff into ohmic plasma to get 100% radiation
Plasma: Bt 5.4 T, .8 MA, nl 1e20 m^-2.
puff Argon in 40 ms out of every 140 ms, starting at 0.5 sec.
Result: Disruption at 1.18 sec.

Next: RF on at 3 MW. Same plasma.

Mar 30 2005 04:08:34:387PM1050330022Yijun Linshot 22: Argon puff into RF heated plasma to get 100% radiation
Plasma: Bt 5.4 T, .8 MA, nl 1e20 m^-2.
puff Argon in 40 ms out of every 140 ms, starting at 0.5 sec.
Prf at 3 MW, [0.6, 1.35] sec.
Result: disruption at 1.5 sec
Prad at 1.7 MW, about half of the RF power.
Next: try more argon and make disrupton during the RF.


Mar 30 2005 04:09:31:357PM1050330023Yijun Linshot 23: Argon puff into RF heated plasma to get 100% radiation
Plasma: Bt 5.4 T, .8 MA, nl 1e20 m^-2.
puff Argon in 60 ms out of every 160 ms, starting at 0.5 sec.
Prf at 3 MW, [0.6, 1.35] sec.
Result: disruption at 1.4 sec.
Prad at 1.8 MW, about half of the RF power.

Next: try krypton.
Mar 30 2005 04:23:46:877PM1050330024Yijun Linshot 24: krypton puff into RF heated plasma to get 100% radiation
Plasma: Bt 5.4 T, .8 MA, nl 1e20 m^-2.
puff kryton in 40 ms out of every 160 ms, starting at 0.5 sec.
Prf at 3 MW, [0.6, 1.5] sec.
Result: disruption at 1.54 sec. Dithering H-modes.
Prad at 1.8 MW
Next: more krypton.

Mar 31 2005 09:50:49:220AM1050330025Yijun Linshot 25: krypton puff into RF heated plasma to get 100% radiation
Plasma: Bt 5.4 T, .8 MA, nl 1e20 m^-2.
puff kryton in 60 ms out of every 160 ms, starting at 0.5 sec.
Prf at 3 MW, [0.6, 1.5] sec.
Result: disruption at 1.26 sec during RF. H/D ~ 0.09
End of the Linear part at 1.2 sec.
Prad 2.2 MW.
Prf 3 MW.
Poh ~ 0.8 MW.
Does it mean RF efficiency at H/D = 0.09 was (2.2-0.8)/3.0 ~ 0.5?
If using 2pi foil, Pfoil = 3.5 MW.
--> rf efficiency at (3.5-0.8)/3.0 = 0.9?
Mar 30 2005 04:50:46:670PM1050330026Yijun Linshot 26 fizzle.
Next more krypton so that we can have disruption when H/D level is still low.

Physics Operator Comments
Mar 30 2005 09:49:38:830AMEarl MarmarThere is a problem with the big door to the cell today. It is closed, and will not be opened during the run.
As a result it is unlikely that there will be any possibility for cell access during the run, because of
low oxygen levels.
Mar 30 2005 10:28:10:380AM1050330001Earl MarmarBecause of problems with duds at the end of the day yesterday,
we will start by trying to reproduce a standard 1 MA shot

load from 1050329007, 1 MA, LSN, nl_04 target 8.5e19
prepuff 20 msec (not changed)
change I_TF to -150kA (from -145.5 kA)

plasma
hards early
disrupt in rampdown (~500 kA)
Mar 30 2005 10:41:21:650AM1050330002Earl Marmarraise nl_04 target to 1.e20
increase PG3 puff in seg 1 after 20 msec

plasma
similar early hards
marfe during density rise
Mar 30 2005 10:51:26:923AM1050330003Earl Marmardelay the density rise
nl_04 target to 1.2e20
gate valves open for this shot (they were closed for first 2 shots of the day)

plasma
marfe looks better; density rise probably could have been a bit faster
early hards much lower
Mar 30 2005 11:05:15:677AM1050330004Earl MarmarI_p to 0.8 MA
tweak segment 2 density rise programming (a bit faster)

plasma
early hards are back
Mar 30 2005 11:18:59:673AM1050330005Earl Marmarnl_04 target to 1.0e20

fizzle
Mar 30 2005 11:38:07:163AM1050330006Earl Marmarreduce prepuff by 2 msec (to 18 msec)

plasma
early disruption; big increase in radiated power starting at 0.42 seconds
Mar 30 2005 11:51:01:723AM1050330007Earl Marmarno pcs changes

plasma
Mar 30 2005 12:12:29:873PM1050330008Earl Marmarnl_04 target to 0.8e20

plasma
Mar 30 2005 12:15:40:233PM1050330009Earl Marmarnow go for the Thomson ECE-cutoff density calibration
I_TF to -125kA
I_p to 1.2 MA
nl_04 to 4e20

fizzle
Mar 30 2005 12:31:04:827PM1050330010Earl Marmarreduce prepuff by 2 msec to 16 msec

very late, tiny breakdown; essentially a dud
Mar 30 2005 12:49:25:617PM1050330011Earl Marmaradd 2 msec to prepuff
EF4 10 A less positive for t \le 0

dud

we will stop the LH for now

ECDC (D2, 2e-4 guage) for 20 minutes before the next shot
Mar 30 2005 01:26:49:777PM1050330012Earl Marmar20 minutes ECDC before this shot
EF4 to -1345 A for t \le 0

plasma
startup looks good; hards are gone
got to nl_04 = 2e20, then disrupted late in flattop
close to limit on OH1


Mar 30 2005 01:50:34:110PM1050330013Earl Marmar4 tesla
0.9 MA

plasma
disrupt near end of flattop
Mar 30 2005 01:50:49:097PM1050330014Earl Marmar4 tesla
1.0 MA

EF3 breaker pulled during INIT and was reset

plasma
bounced during startup
very short and nasty; lots of hards early
Mar 30 2005 02:04:25:260PM1050330015Earl Marmaradd 1ms to prepuff
EF4 to -1335 for t \le 0

very late breakdown fizzle
Mar 30 2005 02:25:09:003PM1050330016Earl Marmarback to 5.4 Tesla, 800 kA, nl_04 = 1e20
2 psi argon B-side lower
PG1 to 100 volts from 0.5 to 1.5 seconds

prepuff to 20 msec
EF4 current to -1345 for t \le 0

dud
Mar 30 2005 02:49:16:700PM1050330017Earl MarmarB-top plenum to 6.2 psi (it had been down to 5.1)

plasma
disrupt around 0.7
argon starts rising about 0.6, and then rapidly increases to the disruption
Mar 30 2005 02:50:58:077PM1050330018Earl Marmarmodulated argon puffs, 60 ms on out of every 160 ms, starting at 0.5 s

no toroidal field; supplies did not fire

Mar 30 2005 03:17:38:567PM1050330019Earl Marmarno pcs changes
plasma

radiated power increases in steps, then goes up non-linearly toward the disruption
Mar 30 2005 03:20:47:037PM1050330020Earl Marmarreduce argon puffs: 40 msec out of each 160 ms, starting at 0.5 s

fizzle
Mar 30 2005 03:57:42:870PM1050330021Earl Marmarreduce prepuff by 2 ms to 18 ms
turn off ninja puff

plasma
disrupts later

Mar 30 2005 03:58:26:120PM1050330022Earl Marmarturn on RF during argon puff (3 MW)

survives until after RF
Mar 30 2005 04:03:44:837PM1050330023Earl Marmarincrease argon by 50% (60 ms out of every 160 ms)

plasma
disrupts after RF turns off
Mar 30 2005 04:26:12:533PM1050330024Earl Marmarswitch to krypton, 2 psi, B side lower
puff 40 ms out of each 160 ms, starting at 0.5 s

plasma
disrupts after the RF turns off
Zeff is rising to ~2 during the RF
Mar 30 2005 04:47:13:780PM1050330025Earl Marmarincrease krypton about 50% (60 ms on out of every 160 ms)

plasma
disrupts during RF pulse
Mar 30 2005 04:47:26:153PM1050330026Earl Marmarno pcs changes

fizzle
Mar 30 2005 05:00:54:080PM1050330027Earl Marmarreduce prefill puff by 2 msec
increase krypton (75 ms out of every 160 ms)

fizzle, late breakdown

Engineering Operator Comments
ShotTimeTypeStatusComment
110:09:49:013AMPlasmaOk
210:30:14:147AMPlasmaOk
310:43:17:497AMPlasmaOk
410:56:14:813AMPlasmaOk
511:12:48:627AMPlasmaOk
611:27:29:967AMPlasmaOk
711:41:20:290AMPlasmaOk
811:53:44:317AMPlasmaOk
912:12:52:780PMPlasmaOk
1012:25:21:483PMPlasmaOk
1112:38:15:393PMPlasmaOk
1201:12:55:040PMPlasmaOk
1301:26:43:340PMPlasmaOk
1401:41:04:057PMPlasmaOk
1501:57:21:730PMPlasmaOk
1602:17:37:723PMPlasmaOk
1702:30:18:477PMPlasmaOk
1802:49:06:530PMPlasmaBadTF did not fire. PLC trigger suspected.
1903:01:36:703PMPlasmaOk
2003:17:02:177PMPlasmaOk
2103:29:47:537PMPlasmaOk
2203:42:32:320PMPlasmaOk
2303:57:40:713PMPlasmaOk
2404:15:36:977PMPlasmaOk
2504:28:25:960PMPlasmaOk
2604:44:28:170PMPlasmaOk
2704:57:37:673PMPlasmaOk