Observation of pedestal quasi-coherent mode in Type-I ELMy H-mode of HL-2A tokamak

Abstract

High confinement mode plasma experiments with Type-I edge localized modes (ELMs) have been carried out on HL-2A tokamak. With neutral beam injection and lower hybrid current drive heating, a quasi-coherent mode (QCM) located at pedestal region has been observed, which exists during the ELM-free stage till the first ELM burst. Analysis based on density and magnetic fluctuations has revealed that the QCM propagating radially outward is electrostatic in nature whose radial wavenumber is kr∼0.5 cm−1 as well as the poloidal wavenumber around kθ∼1.4 cm−1, rotating in electron diamagnetic drift direction. The central frequency of the mode gradually decreases from 50 to 20 kHz, which varies almost linearly with toroidal rotation. Experimental findings indicate that the QCM is excited above a critical electron density gradient in the ELM-free phase during which the latter gradually increases due to the confinement transition. The disappearance of QCM is closely associated with the onset of ELMy H-mode, suggesting that the presence of QCM could potentially delay the occurrence of ELM bursts, consequently supporting the maintenance of an ELM-free operational regime. Moreover, the pedestal region locates more radially outside where the density gradient shows a more spanned region with QCM. A quantitative comparison between experimental measurements and linear GENE gyrokinetic simulations suggests that the dissipative trapped electron mode might be the candidate interpretation of the QCM.