Bursting core-localized ellipticity-induced Alfvén eigenmodes driven by energetic electrons during EAST ohmic discharges

Abstract

Abstract A series of high-frequency ( 400 ∼ 1000  kHz ) bursting core-localized Alfvén instabilities have been observed during ohmic discharges in EAST tokamak. The instability trigger favours the discharge conditions of low toroidal magnetic field and low electron density. The toroidal mode numbers are mainly n = 2 ∼ 3 and they propagate in the ion diamagnetic drift (co-current) direction. These modes are radially localized in the range of ρ tor = 0.2 ∼ 0.35 based on Doppler BackScatter measurement. They are identified as ellipticity-induced Alfvén eigenmodes (EAEs) occurring at q = 1 rational surfaces by magnetohydrodynamics simulations using the realistic geometry and plasma profiles. The EAEs show regular bursts with ∼10 ms duration along with the mode frequency chirping downwards and upwards rapidly. It is also found that sawtooth events can interrupt the growth and evolution of the EAEs, causing the modes to disappear immediately. Passing energetic electrons (EEs) that move much faster than Alfvén velocity are responsible for the destabilization of these EAEs, which attribute to the fact that the large poloidal and toroidal frequencies mostly cancel each other and satisfy the EAE resonance condition with primary energy exchange. These novel experimental results of the wave-particle interaction between EAEs and EEs are helpful for extrapolating alpha particle physics that are characterized by small orbit width with respect to machine size in future fusion reactors.