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(OV/2-2) The National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) Research Program and Progress Towards High Beta, Long Pulse Operating Scenarios

E.J. Synakowski¹⁾, M.G. Bell¹⁾, R.E. Bell¹⁾, T. Bigelow²⁾, M. Bitter¹⁾, W. Blanchard¹⁾, J. Boedo³⁾, C. Bourdelle⁴⁾, C. Bush²⁾, D.S. Darrow¹⁾, E.D. Fredrickson¹⁾, D.A. Gates¹⁾, M. Gilmore⁵⁾, L.R. Grisham¹⁾, J.C. Hosea¹⁾, D.W. Johnson¹⁾, R. Kaita¹⁾, S.M. Kaye¹⁾, S. Kubota⁶⁾, H.W. Kugel¹⁾, B.P. LeBlanc¹⁾, K. Lee⁷⁾, R. Maingi²⁾, J. Manickam¹⁾, R. Maqueda⁸⁾, E. Mazzucato¹⁾, S.S. Medley¹⁾, J. Menard¹⁾, D. Mueller¹⁾, B.A. Nelson⁹⁾, C. Neumeyer¹⁾, M. Ono¹⁾, F. Paoletti¹⁰, H.K. Park¹⁾, S.F. Paul¹⁾, Y.-K. M. Peng²⁾, C.K. Phillips¹⁾, S. Ramakrishnan¹⁾, R. Raman⁹⁾, A. Rosenberg¹⁾, P.M. Ryan²⁾, S.A. Sabbagh¹⁰⁾, C.H. Skinner¹⁾, V. Soukhanovskii¹⁾, T. Stevenson¹⁾, D. Stutman¹¹⁾, D.W. Swain²⁾, G. Taylor¹⁾, A. Von Halle¹⁾, J. Wilgen²⁾, M. Williams¹⁾, J.R. Wilson¹⁾, S.J. Zweben¹⁾, X. Xu¹²⁾, R. Akers¹³⁾, R.E. Barry²⁾, P. Beiersdorfer¹²⁾, J.M. Bialek¹⁰⁾, B. Blagojevic¹¹⁾, P.T. Bonoli¹⁴⁾, R. Budny¹⁾, M.D. Carter²⁾, J. Chrzanowski¹⁾, W. Davis¹⁾, B. Deng⁷⁾, E.J. Doyle¹⁵⁾, L. Dudek¹⁾, P.C. Efthimion¹⁾, J. Egedal¹⁴⁾, R. Ellis¹⁾, J.R. Ferron¹⁵⁾, M. Finkenthal¹¹⁾, J. Foley¹⁾, E. Fredd¹⁾, A. Glasser⁸⁾, T. Gibney¹⁾, R.J. Goldston¹⁾, R. Harvey¹⁶⁾, R.E. Hatcher¹⁾, R.J. Hawryluk¹⁾, W. Heidbrink¹⁷⁾, K.W. Hill¹⁾, W. Houlberg²⁾, T.R. Jarboe⁹⁾, S.C. Jardin¹⁾, H. Ji¹⁾, M. Kalish¹⁾, J. Lawrance¹⁸⁾, L.L. Lao¹⁵⁾, K.C. Lee⁷⁾, F.M. Levinton¹⁹⁾, N.C. Luhmann⁷⁾, R. Majeski¹⁾, R. Marsala¹⁾, D. Mastravito¹⁾, T.K. Mau³⁾, B. McCormack¹⁾, M.M. Menon²⁾, O. Mitarai²⁰⁾, M. Nagata²¹⁾, N. Nishino²²⁾, M. Okabayashi¹⁾, G. Oliaro¹⁾, D. Pacella²³⁾, R. Parsells¹⁾, T. Peebles⁶⁾, B. Peneflor¹⁵⁾, D. Piglowski¹⁵⁾, R. Pinsker¹⁵⁾, G.D. Porter¹²⁾, A.K. Ram¹⁴⁾, M. Redi¹⁾, M. Rensink¹²⁾, G. Rewoldt¹⁾, J. Robinson¹⁾, P. Roney¹⁾, A.L. Roquemore¹⁾, M. Schaffer¹⁵⁾, K. Shaing²⁴⁾, S. Shiraiwa²⁵, P. Sichta¹⁾, D. Stotler¹⁾, B.C. Stratton¹⁾, Y. Takase²⁵⁾, X. Tang⁸⁾, R. Vero¹⁾, W.R. Wampler²⁶⁾, G.A. Wurden⁸⁾, X.Q. Xu¹²⁾, J.G. Yang²⁷⁾, L. Zeng⁶⁾, W. Zhu^6)
 
1) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
²⁾ Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
³⁾ University of California, San Diego, California, USA
⁴⁾ CEA Cadarache, France
⁵⁾ University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA
⁶⁾ University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
⁷⁾ University of California, Davis, California, USA
⁸⁾ Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
⁹⁾ University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
¹⁰⁾ Columbia University, New York, N.Y., USA
¹¹⁾ Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
¹²⁾ Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA
¹³⁾ Euratom-UKAEA Fusion Association, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
¹⁴⁾ Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
¹⁵⁾ General Atomics, San Diego, California, USA
¹⁶⁾ Compx, Del Mar, California, USA
¹⁷⁾ University of California, Irvine, California, USA
¹⁸⁾ Princeton Scientific Instruments, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
¹⁹⁾ Nova Photonics, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
²⁰⁾ Kyushu Tokai University, Kumamoto, Japan
²¹⁾ Himeji Institute of Technology, Okayama, Japan
²²⁾ Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
²³⁾ ENEA, Frascati, Italy
²⁴⁾ University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
²⁵⁾ Tokyo University, Tokyo, Japan
²⁶⁾ Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
²⁷⁾ Korea Basic Science Institute, Taejon, Republic of Korea

Abstract.  A major research goal of the National Spherical Torus Experiment is establishing long-pulse, high beta, high confinement operation and its physics basis. Capabilities include neutral beam (up to 5 MW) and high harmonic fast wave (HHFW; up to 6 MW) heating, toroidal fields up to 4.5 kG (with 6 kG capability), and currents up to 1.5 MA. Plasmas with average toroidal beta near 30% have been obtained, challenging the no-wall stability limit. Studies have focused on the identification of beta limiting modes and the effectiveness of wall mode stabilization. With NBI, both L mode and H mode confinement exceeds scaling law predictions. Analysis reveals exceptionally low ion thermal and particle transport in L mode, and H modes exhibit substantial pressure profile broadening. HHFW effectively heats electrons, and its acceleration of fast beam ions has been observed. Results from current drive studies will be outlined. Toroidal currents up to 400 kA have been driven with coaxial helicity injection, and studies to assess flux closure and coupling to other current drive techniques will be discussed. Finally, the heat flux scaling studies relevant to extended pulse regimes will be summarized.

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