The internal transport barrier formation on EAST tokamak during the fishbone instability

Abstract

Abstract The internal transport barrier (ITB) which is related to the fishbone instability has been observed on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) in ELMy H-mode discharges. An interpretation of the formation of the ITB on EAST tokamak is provided, based on both analytical and numerical calculations. The fishbone instability induces the redistribution of fast ions and leads to the accumulation of fast ions in a local region where the ITB is going to appear. Correspondingly, the gradients of fast ions are enhanced, where the ion temperature gradient (ITG) mode exists. Fast ions can interact with the ITG mode through the dilution, Shafranov shift and wave-particle resonance mechanisms. It is found that the ITG mode is stabilized by fast ions and the stabilizing effects are determined mainly by the density, temperature and their gradients of fast ions. The enhanced density and temperature gradients of fast ions lead to a stronger stabilizing effect on ITG mode. Compared with the stabilizing effect before the appearance of fishbone instability, the stabilization on ITG mode is enhanced after the fishbone instability, which is beneficial to the formation of the ITB.