E × B Plasma Rotation and n = 1 Oscillation Observed in the NSTX-CHI Experiments

Masayoshi NAGATA; Roger RAMAN; Vlad SOUKHANOVSKII; Brian A. NELSON; Ronald E. BELL; Dennis MUELLER; Thomas R. JARBOE; Michael G. BELL; the NSTX Research Team

doi:10.1585/pfr.2.035

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E × B Plasma Rotation and n = 1 Oscillation Observed in the NSTX-CHI Experiments

Masayoshi NAGATA, Roger RAMAN, Vlad SOUKHANOVSKII, Brian A. NELSON, Ronald E. BELL, Dennis MUELLER, Thomas R. JARBOE, Michael G. BELL, the NSTX Research Team

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Keywords: coaxial helicity injection, ion Doppler spectroscopy, E × B plasma rotation, n = 1 mode

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2007 Volume 2 Pages 035

DOI https://doi.org/10.1585/pfr.2.035

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Abstract

In the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX), a peak plasma current up to 390 kA has been successfully generated by the Coaxial Helicity Injection (CHI) current drive method. The plasma rotation (∼ 20 km/s) driven in the E × B toroidal direction by CHI has been clearly identified by an ion Doppler spectroscopic measurement. The n = 1 mode has been also observed to rotate in the same direction. This rotating kink behavior observed for the first time in NSTX is consistent with the electron locking model developed in the Helicity Injected Torus-II (HIT-II) experiments to explain the mechanism of CHI current drive.

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