PPPL-5278

Effect of progressively increasing lithium conditioning on edge transport and stability in high triangularity NSTX H-modes

Authors: R. Maingia, J.M. Canikb, R.E. Bella, D.P. Boylec, A. Dialloa, R. Kaitaa, S.M. Kayea, B.P. LeBlanca, S.A. Sabbaghd, F. Scottie, V.A. Soukhanovskiie, and the NSTX team

Abstract: A sequence of H-mode discharges with increasing levels of pre-discharge lithium evaporation (‘dose’) was conducted in high triangularity and elongation boundary shape in NSTX. Energy confinement increased, and recycling decreased with increasing lithium dose, similar to a previous lithium dose scan in medium triangularity and elongation plasmas. Data-constrained SOLPS interpretive modeling quantified the edge transport change: the electron particle diffusivity decreased by 10-30x. The electron thermal diffusivity decreased by 4x just inside the top of the pedestal, but increased by up to 5x very near the separatrix. These results provide a baseline expectation for lithium benefits in NSTX-U, which is optimized for a boundary shape similar to the one in this experiment.

Submitted to: Nuclear Materials and Energy
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Download PPPL-5278 (pdf 3.4 MB 23 pp)
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