Enhanced performance in fusion plasmas through turbulence suppression by megaelectronvolt ions

S. Mazzi; JET Contributors

doi:10.1038/s41567-022-01626-8

Enhanced performance in fusion plasmas through turbulence suppression by megaelectronvolt ions

S. Mazzi, JET Contributors

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Abstract

Alpha particles with energies on the order of megaelectronvolts will be the main source of plasma heating in future magnetic confinement fusion reactors. Instead of heating fuel ions, most of the energy of alpha particles is transferred to electrons in the plasma. Furthermore, alpha particles can also excite Alfvénic instabilities, which were previously considered to be detrimental to the performance of the fusion device. Here we report improved thermal ion confinement in the presence of megaelectronvolts ions and strong fast ion-driven Alfvénic instabilities in recent experiments on the Joint European Torus. Detailed transport analysis of these experiments reveals turbulence suppression through a complex multi-scale mechanism that generates large-scale zonal flows. This holds promise for more economical operation of fusion reactors with dominant alpha particle heating and ultimately cheaper fusion electricity.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	776-782
Number of pages	14
Journal	Nature Physics
Volume	18
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-022-01626-8
Publication status	Published - 30 Jun 2022

Funding

We thank M. Baruzzo and F. Nave for the preparation and execution of JET experiments discussed in this paper; E. de la Luna for support in detailing the experimental diagnostics of JET; A. Ho for assistance in processing the experimental data; T. Görler for providing essential advice to ensure the correct numerical setup for the GENE modelling reported in this paper; Y. Camenen, X. Garbet and A. Bierwage for fruitful discussions about the gyrokinetic analyses; G. Giruzzi for valuable suggestions on the article strategy. The simulations were performed on the IRENE Joliot-Curie HPC system, in the framework of the PRACE projects IONFAST and AFIETC, led by J. Garcia, and on the CINECA Marconi HPC within the project GENE4EP, led by D. Zarzoso. This work has been carried out within the framework of the EUROfusion Consortium and has received funding from the Euratom research and training programme 2014-2018 and 2019-2020 under grant agreement no. 633053. The views and opinions express herein do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. Part of the work by Ye. O. Kazakov and J.Ongena was also carried out in the framework of projects done for the ITER Scientist Fellow Network (ISFN). We thank M. Baruzzo and F. Nave for the preparation and execution of JET experiments discussed in this paper; E. de la Luna for support in detailing the experimental diagnostics of JET; A. Ho for assistance in processing the experimental data; T. Görler for providing essential advice to ensure the correct numerical setup for the GENE modelling reported in this paper; Y. Camenen, X. Garbet and A. Bierwage for fruitful discussions about the gyrokinetic analyses; G. Giruzzi for valuable suggestions on the article strategy. The simulations were performed on the IRENE Joliot-Curie HPC system, in the framework of the PRACE projects IONFAST and AFIETC, led by J. Garcia, and on the CINECA Marconi HPC within the project GENE4EP, led by D. Zarzoso. This work has been carried out within the framework of the EUROfusion Consortium and has received funding from the Euratom research and training programme 2014-2018 and 2019-2020 under grant agreement no. 633053. The views and opinions express herein do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. Part of the work by Ye. O. Kazakov and J.Ongena was also carried out in the framework of projects done for the ITER Scientist Fellow Network (ISFN).

Keywords

magnetically confined plasmas
nonlinear phenomena
nuclear fusion and fission

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10.1038/s41567-022-01626-8

Mazzi-etal-NP-2022-Enhanced-performance-in-fusion-plasmas-through-turbulence-suppression-by-megaelectronvolt-ionsAccepted author manuscript, 733 KBLicence: CC BY 4.0

Cite this

@article{90358b54dd074980b8317cd830cf2385,

title = "Enhanced performance in fusion plasmas through turbulence suppression by megaelectronvolt ions",

abstract = "Alpha particles with energies on the order of megaelectronvolts will be the main source of plasma heating in future magnetic confinement fusion reactors. Instead of heating fuel ions, most of the energy of alpha particles is transferred to electrons in the plasma. Furthermore, alpha particles can also excite Alfv{\'e}nic instabilities, which were previously considered to be detrimental to the performance of the fusion device. Here we report improved thermal ion confinement in the presence of megaelectronvolts ions and strong fast ion-driven Alfv{\'e}nic instabilities in recent experiments on the Joint European Torus. Detailed transport analysis of these experiments reveals turbulence suppression through a complex multi-scale mechanism that generates large-scale zonal flows. This holds promise for more economical operation of fusion reactors with dominant alpha particle heating and ultimately cheaper fusion electricity.",

keywords = "magnetically confined plasmas, nonlinear phenomena, nuclear fusion and fission",

author = "S. Mazzi and M. Akhtar and M. Ali and I. Antoniou and J. Bentley and M. Berry and J. Booth and B. Brown and C. Clements and C. Collins and J. Collins and S. Collins and S. Conroy and B. Conway and S. Cooper and D. Croft and A. Cullen and A. Davies and S. Davies and G. Davis and K. Deakin and S. Forbes and Y. Gao and C. Gibson and Gibson, {K. J.} and R. Gomes and E. Gow and B. Graham and S. Hall and Henderson, {S. S.} and J. Hill and J. Hor{\'a}{\v c}ek and Horton, {L. D.} and R. Johnson and J. Johnston and C. Jones and G. Jones and L. Jones and T. Jones and R. Kelly and D. Kennedy and K. Khan and C. Kim and Kim, {H. T.} and Kim, {S. H.} and R. King and M. Knight and P. Knight and C. Lee and Lee, {S. E.} and L. Li and Y. Li and F. Liu and R. Marshall and A. Martin and A. Martin and McDonald, {D. C.} and B. McMillan and L. McNamee and J. Morris and Morrison, {K. M.} and Martin O'Mullane and A. Patel and C. Price and S. Reynolds and D. Robson and S. Rowe and D. Rowlands and K. Schmid and G. Scott and M. Scott and A. Shaw and A. Silva and J. Simpson and N. Smith and P. Smith and G. Stables and M. Stead and Sun, {H. J.} and D. Taylor and J. Thomas and A. Tookey and R. Walker and E. Wang and D. Whittaker and Williams, {J. C.} and I. Wilson and J. Wilson and T. Wilson and R. Wood and Y. Yang and R. Young and W. Zhang and Y. Zhou and {JET Contributors}",

year = "2022",

month = jun,

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doi = "10.1038/s41567-022-01626-8",

language = "English",

volume = "18",

pages = "776--782",

journal = "Nature Physics",

issn = "1745-2473",

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T1 - Enhanced performance in fusion plasmas through turbulence suppression by megaelectronvolt ions

AU - Mazzi, S.

AU - Akhtar, M.

AU - Ali, M.

AU - Antoniou, I.

AU - Bentley, J.

AU - Berry, M.

AU - Booth, J.

AU - Brown, B.

AU - Clements, C.

AU - Collins, C.

AU - Collins, J.

AU - Collins, S.

AU - Conroy, S.

AU - Conway, B.

AU - Cooper, S.

AU - Croft, D.

AU - Cullen, A.

AU - Davies, A.

AU - Davies, S.

AU - Davis, G.

AU - Deakin, K.

AU - Forbes, S.

AU - Gao, Y.

AU - Gibson, C.

AU - Gibson, K. J.

AU - Gomes, R.

AU - Gow, E.

AU - Graham, B.

AU - Hall, S.

AU - Henderson, S. S.

AU - Hill, J.

AU - Horáček, J.

AU - Horton, L. D.

AU - Johnson, R.

AU - Johnston, J.

AU - Jones, C.

AU - Jones, G.

AU - Jones, L.

AU - Jones, T.

AU - Kelly, R.

AU - Kennedy, D.

AU - Khan, K.

AU - Kim, C.

AU - Kim, H. T.

AU - Kim, S. H.

AU - King, R.

AU - Knight, M.

AU - Knight, P.

AU - Lee, C.

AU - Lee, S. E.

AU - Li, L.

AU - Li, Y.

AU - Liu, F.

AU - Marshall, R.

AU - Martin, A.

AU - McDonald, D. C.

AU - McMillan, B.

AU - McNamee, L.

AU - Morris, J.

AU - Morrison, K. M.

AU - O'Mullane, Martin

AU - Patel, A.

AU - Price, C.

AU - Reynolds, S.

AU - Robson, D.

AU - Rowe, S.

AU - Rowlands, D.

AU - Schmid, K.

AU - Scott, G.

AU - Scott, M.

AU - Shaw, A.

AU - Silva, A.

AU - Simpson, J.

AU - Smith, N.

AU - Smith, P.

AU - Stables, G.

AU - Stead, M.

AU - Sun, H. J.

AU - Taylor, D.

AU - Thomas, J.

AU - Tookey, A.

AU - Walker, R.

AU - Wang, E.

AU - Whittaker, D.

AU - Williams, J. C.

AU - Wilson, I.

AU - Wilson, J.

AU - Wilson, T.

AU - Wood, R.

AU - Yang, Y.

AU - Young, R.

AU - Zhang, W.

AU - Zhou, Y.

AU - JET Contributors

PY - 2022/6/30

Y1 - 2022/6/30

N2 - Alpha particles with energies on the order of megaelectronvolts will be the main source of plasma heating in future magnetic confinement fusion reactors. Instead of heating fuel ions, most of the energy of alpha particles is transferred to electrons in the plasma. Furthermore, alpha particles can also excite Alfvénic instabilities, which were previously considered to be detrimental to the performance of the fusion device. Here we report improved thermal ion confinement in the presence of megaelectronvolts ions and strong fast ion-driven Alfvénic instabilities in recent experiments on the Joint European Torus. Detailed transport analysis of these experiments reveals turbulence suppression through a complex multi-scale mechanism that generates large-scale zonal flows. This holds promise for more economical operation of fusion reactors with dominant alpha particle heating and ultimately cheaper fusion electricity.

AB - Alpha particles with energies on the order of megaelectronvolts will be the main source of plasma heating in future magnetic confinement fusion reactors. Instead of heating fuel ions, most of the energy of alpha particles is transferred to electrons in the plasma. Furthermore, alpha particles can also excite Alfvénic instabilities, which were previously considered to be detrimental to the performance of the fusion device. Here we report improved thermal ion confinement in the presence of megaelectronvolts ions and strong fast ion-driven Alfvénic instabilities in recent experiments on the Joint European Torus. Detailed transport analysis of these experiments reveals turbulence suppression through a complex multi-scale mechanism that generates large-scale zonal flows. This holds promise for more economical operation of fusion reactors with dominant alpha particle heating and ultimately cheaper fusion electricity.

KW - magnetically confined plasmas

KW - nonlinear phenomena

KW - nuclear fusion and fission

UR - https://hal.science/hal-03838301

UR - https://repo.pw.edu.pl/info/article/WUT2a64a8bfc4ad4e1683015a0221fe3e29/

U2 - 10.1038/s41567-022-01626-8

DO - 10.1038/s41567-022-01626-8

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85133752418

SN - 1745-2473

VL - 18

SP - 776

EP - 782

JO - Nature Physics

JF - Nature Physics

ER -

Enhanced performance in fusion plasmas through turbulence suppression by megaelectronvolt ions

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