The paper is devoted to the Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostics recently developed for the Globus-M2 spherical tokamak and prototyping the ITER divertor TS diagnostics. The distinctive features of the system are the use of spectrometers, acquisition system and lasers that meet the base requirements for ITER TS diagnostics. The paper describes the diagnostic system that allows precise measurements of TS signals, as well as the results of the first measurements of electron temperature and density in both central region of the plasma column and scrape-off layer. The system provides measurements of electron temperature $T_{e}$ in the range of 5 eV to 5 keV and density $n_{e}$ in the range of $5{\cdot}10^{17}{\div}3.25{\cdot}10^{20} m^{-3}$. The use of two ITER-grade probing lasers of different wavelengths (Nd:YAG 1064.5 nm and Nd:YLF 1047.3 nm) allows reliable measurement of $T_{e}$ in multi-colour mode, i.e., assuming that spectral calibration is unknown.

This paper highlights the most important results achieved at the spherical tokamak Globus-M2 with a high magnetic field. This paper also covers the most important topics of fusion research: thermal energy confinement in regimes with neutral beam injection, toroidal Alfvén eigenmode and correspondent fast ions confinement issues, L-H transition, turbulence suppression and edge-localized modes' behavior, experimental and theoretical study of regimes with nitrogen seeding that allow to significantly reduce thermal loads on the divertor plates, and experiments and simulations of lower hybrid current drive. The research results provide the basis for the next step toward a fusion neutron source—the development of the Globus-3 spherical tokamak.

The results of measuring the electron temperature and density spatial distributions in plasma of the Globus-M2 tokamak using the Thomson scattering diagnostics are presented. The diagnostics provides measurements throughout the entire tokamak discharge, starting from time of gas breakdown. The Thomson scattering data were analyzed in order to determine the positions of the last closed flux surface, the plasma magnetic axis, and the radius of inversion during the saw-tooth oscillations. The results of measurements performed during the internal reconnection of magnetic field lines are presents, as well as the dynamics of spatial distributions of electron temperature, density and pressure during the plasma transition to the H-mode. The results of measuring the electron temperature distribution in the scrape-off layer using the Thomson scattering diagnostics are also presented for distances up to 4 cm outside the last closed flux surface.

Absorbed power of the neutral-injection beam in spherical tokamaks Globus-M/M2 is estimated numerically. Deceleration of fast particles is simulated by means of the NUBEAM code. The signal of analyzer of charge-exchange atoms is simulated by means of the FIDASIM code using the distribution function of fast ions calculated by means of the NUBEAM code. Comparison of calculated and experimental signals allowed determining the degree of influence of instabilities on confinement of fast particles along with absorbed beam power.

Исследован нагрев плазмы одним и двумя инжекторами быстрых нейтральных атомов в сферическом токамаке Глобус-М2 при тороидальном магнитном поле 0.8–0.9 Тл и токе плазмы 0.35–0.4 МА. Измерение пространственных распределений температуры и концентрации электронов, выполненные диагностикой томсоновского рассеяния лазерного излучения, показало двукратный нагрев электронов плазмы при инжекции нейтральных частиц с энергией до 45 кэВ при мощности пучка 0.75 МВт по сравнению с омическим режимом. Дополнительное включение второго пучка с энергией частиц до 30 кэВ и мощностью до 0.5 МВт позволило получить режим с горячими ионами в диапазоне значений средней плотности плазмы 1.6–10 × 10 19 м –3 . По данным активной спектроскопии и корпускулярной диагностики температура ионов достигла величины 4 кэВ при плотности плазмы 8 × 10 19 м –3 в горячей зоне, превысив температуру электронов более чем в 2.5 раза.

NBI-assisted plasma heating with one or two injectors of fast neutral atoms was studied at the Globus-M2 spherical tokamak at the toroidal magnetic fields of 0.8–0.9 T and plasma currents of 0.35–0.4 MA. Measurements of the spatial temperature and electron density distributions, performed using the Thomson scattering diagnostics, showed a twofold increase in heating of plasma electrons during the injection of neutral particles with energies of up to 45 keV at the beam power of 0.75 MW, as compared to the ohmic heating regime. Switching on the second additional beam with the particle energy of up to 30 keV and power of up to 0.5 MW resulted in obtaining the hot ion mode in the range of mean plasma densities of (1.6–10) × 10 19 m −3 . According to the data of active spectroscopy and neutral particle analyzer diagnostics, in the hot zone, the ion temperature reached 4 keV at the plasma density of 8 × 10 19 m −3 , which is more than 2.5 times higher than the electron temperature.

The work presents the results of the energy confinement study carried out on the compact spherical tokamak Globus-M2 with a toroidal magnetic field as high as 0.8 T. A reproducible and stable discharge was obtained with the average plasma density (5–10) × 10 19 m −3 . Despite the increase in the magnetic field, the neutral beam injection (NBI) led to clear and reproducible transition to the H-mode accompanied by a decrease in the turbulence level at the plasma edge. NBI allowed effectively heat the plasma: electron and ion temperatures in the plasma core exceeded 1 keV. Compared to the previous experiments carried out with a toroidal magnetic field as high as 0.4 T plasma total stored energy was increased by a factor of 4. The main reason or this phenomenon is a strong dependence of the energy confinement time on the toroidal magnetic field in the spherical tokamak. It was experimentally confirmed that such kind of dependence is valid for ST with magnetic field up to 0.8 T. It has also been shown that the enhancement of the energy confinement in Globus-M2 with collisionality decrease is associated with an improvement of both electron and ion thermal insulation.

Hot ion mode was recently achieved at the Globus-M2 spherical tokamak when the toroidal magnetic field was as high as 0.9 T and plasma current 0.35 MA. The injection of two neutral beams with a total power of 0.7 MW and an energy of 30 keV into a plasma with major radius 0.36 m and minor radius 0.22 m (aspect ratio 1.6) made it possible to heat the plasma ions up to 4 keV, while electron density in the plasma center was as high as 8 × 1019 m−3. The achievement of high temperatures became possible due to the good thermal insulation of the plasma.

The study of the spectral properties of the electromagnetic radiation in the ion cyclotron frequency range from the TUMAN-3M tokamak plasma in the neutral beam injection (NBI) heating mode has been performed. The spectrum of this emission consists of several (up to four) narrow lines corresponding to different harmonics of the ion cyclotron resonance of the injected fast ions in the center of the plasma. Wave vectors corresponding to individual spectral lines are determined from the delays of signals from spatially separated probes. It is shown that under the assumption that the measured frequencies and wave vectors are described by a common dispersion relation, the observed emission can be explained by the appearance in the plasma an unstable fast magnetosonic wave propagating almost normally to the magnetic field.

In Globus-M2 ohmic discharges with low density, by means of Mirnov coils array, magnetic field oscillations with frequencies in 1 MHz range were detected. Frequency range of these oscillations significantly exceed the range of TAE and RSAE frequencies, which were previously observed on Globus-M and Globus-M2 tokamaks, and their amplitude, contrary, turned out to be up to an order of magnitude lower. It was found that high frequency oscillations are interrelated with suprathermal electron fraction. At the same time the observed instability seems to have Alfvenic nature, since its frequency correlates well with Alfven frequency scaling. It was also found that magnetic perturbation always forms standing wave with predominantly low toroidal wavenumbers, including n = 0 structure, which makes gap (e.g. TAE) mode excitation impossible. Frequency chirping during single bursts with $$\delta \omega ~\sim ~\sqrt t $$ is consistent with hole-clump model predictions.

In Globus-M2 ohmic discharges with low density, by means of Mirnov coils array, magnetic field oscillations with frequencies in 1 MHz range were detected. Frequency range of these oscillations significantly exceed the range of TAE and RSAE frequencies, which were previously observed on Globus-M and Globus-M2 tokamaks, and their amplitude, contrary, turned out to be up to an order of magnitude lower. It was found that high frequency oscillations are interrelated with suprathermal electron fraction. At the same time the observed instability seems to have Alfvenic nature, since its frequency correlates well with Alfven frequency scaling. It was also found that magnetic perturbation always forms standing wave with predominantly low toroidal wavenumbers, including n = 0 structure, which makes gap (e.g. TAE) mode excitation impossible. Frequency chirping during single bursts with δω ~ √t is consistent with hole-clump model predictions.

The results of experiments on determining the polarization of two types of Alfvеn oscillations observed with magnetic probes in the TUMAN-3M tokamak are presented. The difference in the polarization of short and long bursts of Alfvеn oscillations, arising both in ohmic regime and during neutral beam injection, is found. The role of high-energy electrons in the excitation of Alfvеn oscillations is discussed.

The results of experiments on determining the polarization of two types of Alfvén oscillations observed with magnetic probes in the TUMAN-3M tokamak are presented. The difference in the polarization of short and long bursts of Alfvén oscillations, arising both in ohmic regime and during neutral beam injection, is found. The role of high-energy electrons in the excitation of Alfvén oscillations is discussed.

A study of the spectral properties of electromagnetic radiation in the ion-cyclotron range from the plasma of the TUMAN-3M tokamak in the NBI heating mode has been carried out. The spectrum of this radiation consists of several (up to four) narrow lines corresponding to different harmonics of the ion-cyclotron resonance frequency of injected fast ions in the center of the plasma. Wave vectors corresponding to individual spectral lines are determined from the signal delays between spatially separated probes. It is shown that under the assumption that all the measured frequencies and wave vectors follow the same dispersion relation, the observed radiation can be explained by the appearance in the plasma of an unstable fast magneto-acoustic wave propagating almost normally to the direction of the magnetic field.

Numerous theoretical and experimental studies have proved the important role of radial electric field inhomogeneity, or shear, in LH-transition initiation, and established heating power threshold for transition, although some experiments provide the observation of LH-transition dependency on particle source. It is necessary to apply a concerted approach to describe LH-transition initiation possibility and dynamics, considering E-r shear, particle source and turbulence properties as the main factors responsible for LH-transition initiation.

During modernization of the Globus-M tokamak, toroidal magnetic field and plasma current were increased, and a number of diagnostics were upgraded, which made it possible to study phenomena associated with the excitation of Alfvén waves in a spherical tokamak in a wider range of plasma parameters. In the experiments with neutral beam injection, the dependences of fast particle losses initiated by the toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes (TAE) on their magnitude in the magnetic field range of 0.4 – 0.7 T and currents of 180 – 330 kA were acquired. Resulting dependences confirm previously obtained results and indicate a decrease in losses with increasing magnetic field and plasma current. At the same time, a number of new phenomena, that have never been observed on Globus-M were detected. In experiments with neutral beam injection at the current ramp up stage, Alfvén cascades (AC) in the frequency range of 100 – 300 kHz were observed for the first time. By means of the Doppler backscattering diagnostics (DBS), it was shown that ACs are localized closer to magnetic axis unlike TAE. Also, during low hybrid wave current drive (LHCD) experiments, global Alfvén eigenmodes (GAE) were detected at a frequency close to 1 MHz, apparently driven in the resonance with runaway electron beam. Detected global eigenmodes are also able to arise in ohmic discharges, however, their magnitude is lower.

I.M. Balachenkov1,2, Yu.V. Petrov1, V.K. Gusev1, N.N. Bakharev1, V.V. Bulanin2, V.V. Dyachenko1, N.A. Khromov1, E.O. Kiselev1,2, A.N. Konovalov1, S.V. Krikunov1, G.S. Kurskiev1, V.B. Minaev1, M.I. Patrov1, A.V. Petrov2, A.M. Ponomarenko2, N.V. Sakharov1, P.B. Shchegolev1, A.Yu. Telnova1, V.A. Tokarev1, V.I. Varfolomeev1, A.Yu. Yashin2, N.S. Zhiltsov1,2 1 Ioffe Institute, 194021, St. Petersburg, Russia 2 Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251, St. Petersburg, Russia e-mail: balachenkov@mail.ioffe.ru

In TUMAN-3M tokamak ohmic hydrogen and deuterium discharges oscillations with ion cyclotron (IC) frequency were detected. Fast magnetic probes poloidal array in TUMAN-3M is capable of detecting several harmonics of IC frequency of main plasma isotope. Fuel pellet injection significantly reduces IC oscillations intensity, though after complete pellet evaporation returns to initial level. IC oscillations localization and excitation conditions are of certain interest. Based on drift-cyclotron instability excitation theory and numerical modeling of scenarios with ohmic LH-transition and pellet-injection plasma parameters (density gradient primarily) effect on IC oscillations excitation was studied.