Dynamics of the ELMs in pre-crash and crash suppressed period in KSTAR

Abstract

Following the first operation of H-mode in KSTAR in 2009, study of the edge localized modes (ELM) has been actively conducted. A unique in-vessel control coil (IVCC) set (top,middle and bottom) capable of generating resonant (and non-resonant) magnetic perturbation (RMP) at low n(=1,2) number was successfully utilized to suppress and/or mitigate the ELM-crash [1] in KSTAR. Extensive study of dynamics of the ELMs in both pre-crash and crash suppressed phase under magnetic perturbation with the 2D/3D Electron Cyclotron Emission Imaging (ECEI) system revealed new phenomenology of the ELMs and ELM-crash dynamics that were not available from conventional diagnostics. Since the first 2D images of the ELM time evolution from growth to crash through saturation [2], the detailed images of the ELMs leading to the crash together with the fast RF emission (<200MHz) signal demonstrated that the pre-crash events are complex. The measured 2D image of the ELM was validated by direct comparison with the synthetic 2D image by the BOUT++ code [3] and non-linear modelling study is in progress. Recently, the observed dynamics of the ELMs at both high and low field sides [4] such as asymmetries in intensity, mode number and rotation direction casted a doubt in peeling-ballooning mode. Response of high field side ELM to the RMP was more pronounced compared to that of the low field side. Other study includes observation of multi-modes and sudden mode number transition. During the ELM-crash suppression experiment, various types of ELM-crash patterns were observed and often the suppression was marginal. The observed semi-coherent turbulence spectra under the RMP provided an evidence of non-linear interaction between the ELMs and turbulence [5].