Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: A major challenge in tokamak fusion research is first-wall erosion caused by steady heat loads and sudden energy bursts known as edge-localized modes. Divertor detachment reduces steady-state heat flux, while resonant magnetic perturbations can suppress these instabilities. However, integrating the two has been difficult because they require conflicting operating conditions. Here we demonstrate simultaneous achievement of resonant magnetic perturbations mitigated small edge-localized modes and impurity seeded partial divertor detachment in plasmas with an ITER-similar shape on the DIII-D tokamak. Experiments and simulations show that resonant magnetic perturbations facilitate detachment by redistributing particles, lowering the core density and increasing the scrape-off layer density, thereby reducing the amount of injected gas required. Cooling-gas injection eliminates the secondary heat-flux peak created by three-dimensional magnetic lobes, while edge cooling weakens the plasma response to the applied magnetic fields. These advances illustrate a viable pathway for integrating edge stability control with power exhaust in future fusion reactors. Tokamak walls suffer erosion from steady and bursty heat loads. Here, the authors demonstrate that optimizing 3D magnetic field and cooling gas injection can tame destructive plasma bursts while enabling cooler, safer exhaust conditions.
Source: Nature Communications
Authors: Q. M. Hu, H. Q. Wang, M. Navarro, H. H. Wang, D. Eldon, S. Gu, X. X. Ma, H. Frerichs, F. Scotti, L. Wang, R. S. Wilcox, T. M. Wilks, A. Bortolon, L. Ceelen, F. Effenberg, X. Z. Gong, M. N. Jia, S. K. Kim, C. J. Lasnier, A. W. Leonard, K. D. Li, N. C. Logan, Q. Ma, R. Maingi, L. Y. Meng, A. L. Moser, T. H. Osborne, C. Paz-Soldan, M. W. Shafer, Y. W. Sun, S. M. Yang, C. Ye
Institutions: Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Plasma Physics, General Atomics (United States), University of Wisconsin–Madison, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research, Eindhoven University of Technology, Columbia University
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,990
Awards: G121915436, G1273338650, G1373461864, MIT PLASMA SCIENCE AND FUSION CENTER MAGNETIC CONFINEMENT FUSION EXPERIMENT RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES, G14554683, G1527966216, G1645119126, G180959178, G1898183781, PHYSICS BASIS, OPTIMIZATION, AND CONTROL FOR INTEGRATED 3D EDGE LONG-PULSE TOKAMAK SCENARIOS, G203625172, G2145270357, G2285105350, G2988778103, PHYSICS BASIS, OPTIMIZATION, AND CONTROL FOR INTEGRATED 3D EDGE LONG-PULSE TOKAMAK SCENARIOS, G333530719, G3375501697, G3675545376, THE DIII-D NATIONAL FUSION PROGRAM AND ADVANCED FUSION TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, DISRUPTION AND ELM CONTROL RESEARCH IN THE DIII-D TOKAMAK, G4896746546, G498139845, G516483051, ENHANCED PLASMA EDGE CHARACTERIZATION FOR INVESTIGATION OF HELICON WAVE COUPLING AND NEUTRAL COMPRESSION WITH THE SAS DIVERTOR AT THE DIII-D U.S. NATIONAL FUSION FACILITY, G574795485, MIT PLASMA SCIENCE AND FUSION CENTER MAGNETIC CONFINEMENT FUSION EXPERIMENT RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES, DISRUPTION AND ELM CONTROL RESEARCH IN THE DIII-D TOKAMAK, G663282964, THE DIII-D NATIONAL FUSION PROGRAM AND ADVANCED FUSION TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, G7473577905, G8269158468, THE DIII-D FUSION RESEARCH PROGRAM AND ADVANCED FUSION TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, G8906985441, G969889393
OpenAlex ID: W4417045450