Articolo in rivista, 2017, ENG, 10.1088/1741-4326/aa61cc

Overview of the RFX-mod fusion science activity

Zuin, M.; Dal Bello, S.; Marrelli, L.; Puiatti, M. E.; Agostinetti, P.; Agostini, M.; Antoni, V.; Auriemma, F.; Barbisan, M.; Barbui, T.; Baruzzo, M.; Belli, F.; Bettini, P.; Bigi, M.; Bilel, R.; Boldrin, M.; Bolzonella, T.; Bonfiglio, D.; Brombin, M.; Buffa, A.; Bustreo, C.; Canton, A.; Cappello, S.; Carraro, L.; Cavazzana, R.; Cester, D.; Chacon, L.; Chitarin, G.; Cooper, W. A.; Cordaro, L.; Palma, M. Dalla; Deambrosis, S.; Delogu, R.; De Lorenzi, A.; De Masi, G.; Dong, J. Q.; Escande, D. F.; Fassina, A.; Felici, F.; Ferro, A.; Finotti, C.; Franz, P.; Frassinetti, L.; Gaio, E.; Ghezzi, F.; Giudicotti, L.; Gnesotto, F.; Gobbin, M.; Gonzalez, W. A.; Grando, L.; Guo, S. C.; Hanson, J. D.; Hirshman, S. P.; Innocente, P.; Jackson, J. L.; Kiyama, S.; Komm, M.; Kudlacek, O.; Laguardia, L.; Li, C.; Liu, B.; Liu, S. F.; Liu, Y. Q.; Lopez-Bruna, D.; Lorenzini, R.; Luce, T. C.; Luchetta, A.; Maistrello, A.; Manduchi, G.; Mansfield, D. K.; Marchiori, G.; Marconato, N.; Marcuzzi, D.; Martin, P.; Martines, E.; Martini, S.; Mazzitelli, G.; McCormack, O.; Miorin, E.; Momo, B.; Moresco, M.; Narushima, Y.; Okabayashi, M.; Paccagnella, R.; Patel, N.; Pavei, M.; Peruzzo, S.; Pilan, N.; Pigatto, L.; Piovan, R.; Piovesan, P.; Piron, C.; Piron, L.; Predebon, I.; Pucella, G.; Rea, C.; Recchia, M.; Rizzolo, A.; Rostagni, G.; Ruset, C.; Sajo-Bohus, L.; Sakakita, H.; Sanchez, R.; Sarff, J. S.; Sattin, F.; Scarin, P.; Schmitz, O.; Schneider, W.; Siragusa, M.; Sonato, P.; Spada, E.; Spagnolo, S.; Spolaore, M.; Spong, D. A.; Spizzo, G.; Stevanato, L.; Suzuki, Y.; Taliercio, C.; Terranova, D.; Tudisco, O.; Urso, G.; Valente, M.; Valisa, M.; Vallar, M.; Veranda, M.; Vianello, N.; Villone, F.; Vincenzi, P.; Visona, N.; White, R. B.; Xanthopoulos, P.; Xu, X. Y.; Yanovskiy, V.; Zamengo, A.; Zanca, P.; Zaniol, B.; Zanotto, L.; Zhang, Y.; Zilli, E.

1 Consorzio RFX, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35137 Padova, Italy; 2 Centro Ricerche Energia ENEA Frascati, Frascati, Italy; 3 Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy; 4 ORNL Fusion Energy Division, Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America; 5 Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States of America; 6 EPFL, Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas, Lausanne, Switzerland; 7 CNR-IENI, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova, Italy; 8 Institute for Fusion Theory and Simulation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Southwestern Institute of Physics, Chengdu, People's Republic of China; 9 Aix-Marseille Universitè, CNRS, PIIM, UMR 7345, Marseille, France; 10 Royal Institute of Technology KTH, SE-10044 Stockholm, Sweden; 11 CNR-IFP, Via R Cozzi 53 20125 Milan, Italy; 12 Physics Department, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States of America; 13 General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, CA 92186-5608, United States of America; 14 Plasma Frontier Group, Energy Technology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan; 15 Institute of Plasma Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia; 16 Department of Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China; 17 CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 United Kingdom; 18 Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ, United States of America; 19 National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, Association Euratom-MEdC, Bucharest, Romania. (M. Zuin1, S. Dal Bello1, L. Marrelli1, M.E. Puiatti1, P. Agostinetti1, M. Agostini1, V. Antoni1, F. Auriemma1, M. Barbisan1, T. Barbui1, M. Baruzzo1, F. Belli2, P. Bettini1, M. Bigi1, R. Bilel1, M. Boldrin1, T. Bolzonella1, D. Bonfiglio1, M. Brombin1, A. Buffa1, C. Bustreo1, A. Canton1, S. Cappello1, L. Carraro1, R. Cavazzana1, D. Cester3, L. Chacon4, G. Chitarin1, W.A. Cooper6, L. Cordaro1, M. Dalla Palma1, S. Deambrosis7, R. Delogu1, A. De Lorenzi1, G. De Masi1, J.Q. Dong8, D.F. Escande9, A. Fassina1, F. Felici29, A. Ferro1, C. Finotti1, P. Franz1, L. Frassinetti10, E. Gaio1, F. Ghezzi11, L. Giudicotti1, F. Gnesotto1, M. Gobbin1, W.A. Gonzalez1, L. Grando1, S.C. Guo1, J.D. Hanson12, S.P. Hirshman4, P. Innocente1, J.L. Jackson13, S. Kiyama14, M. Komm15, O. Kudlacek1, L. Laguardia11, C. Li26, B. Liu1, S.F. Liu16, Y.Q. Liu17, D. López- Bruna27, R. Lorenzini1, T.C. Luce13, A. Luchetta1, A. Maistrello1, G. Manduchi1, D.K. Mansfield18, G. Marchiori1, N. Marconato1, D. Marcuzzi1, P. Martin1, E. Martines1, S. Martini1, G. Mazzitelli2, O. McCormack1, E. Miorin5, B. Momo1, M. Moresco1, Y. Narushima28, M. Okabayashi18, R. Paccagnella1, N. Patel1, M. Pavei1, S. Peruzzo1, N. Pilan1, L. Pigatto1, R. Piovan1, P. Piovesan1, C. Piron1, L. Piron1, I. Predebon1, G. Pucella2, C. Rea1, M. Recchia1, A. Rizzolo1, G. Rostagni1, C. Ruset19, L. Sajò- Bohus20, H. Sakakita14, R. Sanchez4,21, J.S. Sarff5, F. Sattin1, P. Scarin1, O. Schmitz22, W. Schneider25, M. Siragusa1, P. Sonato1, E. Spada1, S. Spagnolo1, M. Spolaore1, D.A. Spong4, G. Spizzo1, L. Stevanato3, Y. Suzuki28, C. Taliercio1, D. Terranova1, O. Tudisco2, G. Urso23, M. Valente1, M. Valisa1, M. Vallar1, M. Veranda1, N. Vianello1, F. Villone24, P. Vincenzi1, N. Visonà1, R.B. White18, P. Xanthopoulos25, X.Y. Xu1, V. Yanovskiy1, A. Zamengo1, P. Zanca1, B. Zaniol1, L. Zanotto1, Y. Zhang1 and E. Zilli1)

This paper reports the main recent results of the RFX-mod fusion science activity. The RFX-mod device is characterized by a unique flexibility in terms of accessible magnetic configurations. Axisymmetric and helically shaped reversed-field pinch equilibria have been studied, along with tokamak plasmas in a wide range of q(a) regimes (spanning from 4 down to 1.2 values). The full range of magnetic configurations in between the two, the so-called ultra-low q ones, has been explored, with the aim of studying specific physical issues common to all equilibria, such as, for example, the density limit phenomenon. The powerful RFX-mod feedback control system has been exploited for MHD control, which allowed us to extend the range of experimental parameters, as well as to induce specific magnetic perturbations for the study of 3D effects. In particular, transport, edge and isotope effects in 3D equilibria have been investigated, along with runaway mitigations through induced magnetic perturbations. The first transitions to an improved confinement scenario in circular and D-shaped tokamak plasmas have been obtained thanks to an active modification of the edge electric field through a polarized electrode. The experiments are supported by intense modeling with 3D MHD, gyrokinetic, guiding center and transport codes. Proposed modifications to the RFX-mod device, which will enable further contributions to the solution of key issues in the roadmap to ITER and DEMO, are also briefly presented.

Nuclear fusion 57 (10), pp. 102012-1–102012-14

Keywords

reversed field pinch, tokamak, single helicity, 3D boundary, runaway electrons, MHD, PWI

CNR authors

Martines Emilio, Antoni Vanni, De Lorenzi Antonio, Taliercio Cesare, Marrelli Lionello, Ghezzi Francesco Mauro, Innocente Paolo, Miorin Enrico, Grando Luca, Vianello Nicola, Predebon Italo, Spolaore Monica, Spizzo Gianluca, Terranova David, Zuin Matteo, Piovesan Paolo, Deambrosis Silvia Maria, Recchia Mauro, Agostinetti Piero, Agostini Matteo, Bonfiglio Daniele, Brombin Matteo, Dalla Palma Mauro, Gobbin Marco, Luchetta Adriano Francesco, Laguardia Laura, Puiatti Maria Ester, Piovan Roberto, Paccagnella Roberto, Scarin Paolo, Valisa Marco, Carraro Lorella, Cappello Susanna, Gaio Elena, Martini Stefano, Marchiori Giuseppe, Manduchi Gabriele

CNR institutes

ICMATE – Istituto di Chimica della Materia Condensata e di Tecnologie per l'Energia, IFP – Istituto di fisica del plasma "Piero Caldirola", IGI – Istituto gas ionizzati