First observation of RMP ELM mitigation on MAST Upgrade

• Published in: Plasma physics and controlled fusion 2024-10, Vol.66 (10), p.105003
• Main Authors: Ryan, D A, Ham, C, Kirk, A, Markovic, T, Munaretto, S, Piron, L, Saarelma, S, Suttrop, W, Thornton, A J, Viezzer, E, Willensdorfer, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: edge localised mode; ELM control; ELM mitigation; error field; resonant magnetic perturbation
• ISSN: 0741-3335; 1361-6587
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6587/ad6d53

The first experimental attempts at controlling edge localised modes (ELMs) via the application of resonant magnetic perturbations on the MAST Upgrade tokamak are reported. Using the linear MHD model MARS-F, the phase shift between the upper and lower coil rows ΔΦ was optimised for toroidal mode number n = 1 and n = 2 fields, to provide forward guidance to experiments. In low β N discharges, the application of n = 1 3D fields caused the ELM frequency f E L M to increase by over a factor 20 relative to the reference, and also induced a locked mode, which did not cause a plasma termination nor an H-L back transition. However when β N was raised, this induced locked mode caused plasma termination which precluded mitigation access. Initially, applying a numerically optimised n = 2 field had no effect. However applying a rigid toroidal shift to this field caused a locked mode disruption, demonstrating the presence of a substantial n = 2 error field. Coil current ramps were conducted with ΔΦ set at 6 different values, resulting in either locked mode disruptions or no effect, but mitigation with n = 2 fields was not established.