Enhanced performance in fusion plasmas through turbulence suppression by megaelectronvolt ions

JET Contributors

doi:10.1038/s41567-022-01626-8

Enhanced performance in fusion plasmas through turbulence suppression by megaelectronvolt ions

JET Contributors

Physique des Interactions Ioniques et Moléculaires
Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne
Royal Military Academy
NASU - Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology
V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University
University of Milan - Bicocca
National Research Council of Italy
Jožef Stefan Institute
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
Uppsala University
University of Lisbon
National Centre for Nuclear Research
University of Helsinki
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd.
National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology
Consorzio CREATE
CIEMAT
Demokritos National Centre for Scientific Research
ITER
National Distance Education University
Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l'energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile
Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics
Jülich Research Centre
National Institutes of Natural Sciences - National Institute for Fusion Science
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Technical University of Madrid
Centre for Energy Research
University of Latvia
University of Cagliari
National Technical University of Athens
University of Catania
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Culham Science Centre
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
General Atomics
University of Basel
KTH Royal Institute of Technology
UMR 7198
Maritime University Of Szczecin
Institute of Nuclear Physics PAN
Czech Academy of Sciences
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Lviv Polytechnic National University
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
UMR 7351
Ruder Boskovic Institute
The National Institute for Optoelectronics
Fourth State Research
University of Texas at Austin
Tuscia University
University of Rome Tor Vergata
Universidade de São Paulo
University of Warwick
Andrzej Soltan Institute for Nuclear Studies
Aalto University
Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research
Warsaw University of Technology
Queen's University Belfast
National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics
Ghent University
The National Institute for Cryogenics and Isotopic Technology
Dublin City University
University of California at San Diego
EUROfusion Programme Management Unit
University of York
Chalmers University of Technology
European Commission
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Polytechnic University of Catalonia
Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC)
University of Seville
Aix-Marseille Université
University of Rome La Sapienza
NASU - Institute of Nuclear Research
Belgian Nuclear Research Center
University of Toyama
University of California at Irvine
Technical University of Denmark
Comenius University
University College Cork
University of Opole
Daegu University
Seoul National University
Fusion for Energy
Arizona State University
Polytechnic University of Turin
Complutense University
Eindhoven University of Technology
Purdue University
Shimane University
Czech Technical University in Prague
College of William and Mary
University of California
University of Strathclyde
Kindai University
Shizuoka University
University of Oxford
Columbia University
University of Padua
University of Ioannina
University of Porto
The University of Tokyo
Lithuanian Energy Institute
HRS Fusion
Ibaraki University
TU Wien

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

99 Scopus citations

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	7
Journal	Nature Physics
Volume	18
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-022-01626-8
State	Published - 1 Jul 2022
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.

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).

Funders	Funder number
CINECA Marconi HPC
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme	633053
Euratom Research and Training Programme

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10.1038/s41567-022-01626-8

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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.",

author = "\{JET Contributors\} and S. Mazzi and J. Garcia and D. Zarzoso and Kazakov, \{Ye O.\} and J. Ongena and M. Dreval and M. Nocente and {\v S}tancar and G. Szepesi and J. Eriksson and A. Sahlberg and S. Benkadda and N. Abid and K. Abraham and P. Abreu and O. Adabonyan and P. Adrich and M. Afzal and T. Ahlgren and L. Aho-Mantila and N. Aiba and M. Airila and M. Akhtar and R. Albanese and M. Alderson-Martin and D. Alegre and S. Aleiferis and A. Aleksa and E. Alessi and P. Aleynikov and J. Algualcil and M. Ali and M. Allinson and B. Alper and E. Alves and G. Ambrosino and R. Ambrosino and \{Andersson Sund{\'e}n\}, E. and P. Andrew and Angelini, \{B. M.\} and C. Angioni and I. Antoniou and Appel, \{L. C.\} and C. Appelbee and S. Aria and M. Ariola and G. Artaserse and W. Arter and V. Artigues and D. Borodin",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.",

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

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AU - JET Contributors

AU - Mazzi, S.

AU - Garcia, J.

AU - Zarzoso, D.

AU - Kazakov, Ye O.

AU - Ongena, J.

AU - Dreval, M.

AU - Nocente, M.

AU - Štancar,

AU - Szepesi, G.

AU - Eriksson, J.

AU - Sahlberg, A.

AU - Benkadda, S.

AU - Abid, N.

AU - Abraham, K.

AU - Abreu, P.

AU - Adabonyan, O.

AU - Adrich, P.

AU - Afzal, M.

AU - Ahlgren, T.

AU - Aho-Mantila, L.

AU - Aiba, N.

AU - Airila, M.

AU - Akhtar, M.

AU - Albanese, R.

AU - Alderson-Martin, M.

AU - Alegre, D.

AU - Aleiferis, S.

AU - Aleksa, A.

AU - Alessi, E.

AU - Aleynikov, P.

AU - Algualcil, J.

AU - Ali, M.

AU - Allinson, M.

AU - Alper, B.

AU - Alves, E.

AU - Ambrosino, G.

AU - Ambrosino, R.

AU - Andersson Sundén, E.

AU - Andrew, P.

AU - Angelini, B. M.

AU - Angioni, C.

AU - Antoniou, I.

AU - Appel, L. C.

AU - Appelbee, C.

AU - Aria, S.

AU - Ariola, M.

AU - Artaserse, G.

AU - Arter, W.

AU - Artigues, V.

AU - Borodin, D.

PY - 2022/7/1

Y1 - 2022/7/1

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.

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AN - SCOPUS:85133752418

SN - 1745-2473

VL - 18

SP - 776

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JO - Nature Physics

JF - Nature Physics

IS - 7

ER -

Enhanced performance in fusion plasmas through turbulence suppression by megaelectronvolt ions

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

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