Speaker
Description
The NSTX Upgrade (NSTX-U) team recently completed a scientifically productive research campaign with 10 run weeks of operation. NSTX-U achieved H-mode on the 8th day of operation, surpassed the maximum magnetic field (achieved Bt = 0.65 T) and pulse-duration (achieved 2 sec long pulse) of NSTX, matched the best NSTX H-mode performance at ~1MA, identified and corrected dominant error fields, and commissioned all magnetic and kinetic profile diagnostics. In addition to the new centerstack of NSTX-U, which will ultimately double the maximum field and current capability relative to NSTX, NSTX-U also has a more tangential second neutral beam injector (NBI). NSTX-U researchers discovered that this second NBI can suppress Global Alfven Eigenmodes, which have previously been observed to influence core thermal electron transport. Thus the second NBI may provide means of modifying fast-ion and thermal transport in additional to controlling rotation and current profiles. Finally, NSTX-U researchers implemented new techniques for controlled plasma shut down and disruption detection and commissioned new tools for disruption mitigation. The 2016 run campaign was interrupted by an internal short in a divertor poloidal field coil, and the NSTX-U team is actively developing a recovery strategy. NSTX-U results and future plans will be described
| Eligible for student paper award? | No |
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