Propagation Dynamics Associated with Resonant Magnetic Perturbation Fields in High-Confinement Mode Plasmas inside the KSTAR Tokamak

Phys Rev Lett. 2017 Nov 17;119(20):205001. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.205001. Epub 2017 Nov 15.

Abstract

The propagation dynamics of resonant magnetic perturbation fields in KSTAR H-mode plasmas with injection of small edge perturbations produced by a supersonic molecular beam injection is reported for the first time. The results show that the perturbation field first excites a plasma response on the q=3 magnetic surface and then propagates inward to the q=2 surface with a radially averaged propagation velocity of resonant magnetic perturbations field equal to 32.5 m/ s. As a result, the perturbation field brakes the toroidal rotation on the q=3 surface first causing a momentum transport perturbation that propagates both inward and outward. A higher density fluctuation level is observed. The propagation velocity of the resonant magnetic perturbations field is larger than the radial propagation velocity of the perturbation in the toroidal rotation.