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In recent years, a strong effort has been dedicated to the development of tokamak plasma regimes alternative to the standard high confinement mode (H-mode) with type-I edge localized mode (ELM), i.e. ELM-free and small-ELM regimes, given the associated hardly sustainable energy and particle fluxes on plasma facing components. In this work, we will focus on new H-mode regimes with small-ELMs, the so-called baseline small-ELMs (BSE), characterized by high thermal confinement and low core impurity accumulation, which have been recently found at JET. In order to characterize the micro-turbulence at play at the top of the pedestal, an extensive local linear gyrokinetic analysis with the GKW code has been carried out. In particular, a comparison between a reference type-I ELM (#97395) and two BSE plasmas (#96994 and #94442) has been performed. The ion-scale (0.1 ≤ k θ ρ i ≤ 2) micro-turbulence is found to have different characteristics in the two regimes. Indeed, kinetic-ballooning modes (KBM) are destabilized in the type-I ELM regime at k θ ρ i ∼ 0.1, while they are stable in BSE regimes. In addition, negative (i.e. electron-diamagnetic-direction) frequency modes, identified as electron-temperature-gradient (ETG) modes, are destabilized at k θ ρ i ∼ 1.5 in the type-I ELM regime while BSE regimes are characterized by positive (i.e. ion-diamagnetic-direction) frequency modes. Meanwhile, at electron-scale (10 ≤ k θ ρ i ≤ 700) ETG modes are the dominant micro-instabilities in both regimes. Then, since BSE regimes are characterized by a higher impurity concentration at the pedestal, particular attention has been given to the role played by them. We found that impurities represent a critical player in the linear dynamics, strongly affecting the nature of micro-instabilities at ion-scale.

Recent experiments performed in JET at high level of plasma heating, in preparation of, and during the DT campaign have shown significant discrepancies between electron temperature measurements by Thomson Scattering (TS) and Electron Cyclotron Emission (ECE). In order to perform a systematic analysis of this phenomenon, a simple model of bipolar distortion of the electron distribution function has been developed, allowing analytic calculation of the EC emission and absorption coefficients. Extensive comparisons of the modelled ECE spectra (at both the 2 nd and the 3 rd harmonic extraordinary mode) with experimental measurements display good agreement when bulk electron distribution distortions around 1-2 times the electron thermal velocity are used and prove useful for a first level of analysis of this effect.

For high-temperature JET and TFTR discharges, electron cyclotron emission (ECE) measurements of central electron temperature were systematically found to be up to 20% higher than those taken with Thomson scattering. In recent high-performance JET discharges, central Te measurements, performed with LIDAR Thomson scattering and the X-mode ECE interferometer, have been studied in a large database, including deuterium (DD), and deuterium-tritium plasmas (DT). Discrepancies between Te measurements have been observed outside of the experimental uncertainties. ECE measurements, at high Te, have been found to be higher or lower than those of LIDAR, depending on the specific plasma scenario. In addition, discrepancies between the peaks of the second and third harmonic ranges of the ECE spectrum have been interpreted as evidence for the presence of non-Maxwellian features in the electron distribution function. These comparisons seem to suggest that such features can be found in most of the high-performance scenarios selected in this JET database.

JT-60SA tokamak is equipped with an ECRF system since the beginning of its operational phase. Starting from two gyrotrons units during the Integrated Commissioning, applicable for core heating, assisted breakdown and assisted Wall Conditioning, the system capabilities will be progressively extended from the Initial Research phase for wider applications. The development of the full current plasma H mode scenario 2 (inductive, type I ELM, I p =5.5 MA, B T =2.25 T, q 95 =3) is among the first scientific objectives of the research program. In preparation of this, predictive modelling of the current ramp-up in scaled versions of scenario 2 is being done, based on parameters previously published. In this scenario the ECRF power is injected from an early phase of the discharge. Such modelling provides the kinetic profiles giving the opportunity to estimate the expected amount of EC stray radiation during the ramp-up phase when the EC power absorption might be less than 100% and consequently the potential risk of damage of the in-vessel components is higher.

The optics of the ECRH Upper Launcher in ITER based on the Remote Steering concept needs special attention, since any focussing element in front of the waveguide has combined effects on the range of steering angles achievable and the beam width in the plasma region. The effects are studied in detail for a setup composed by 8 beams per port (three ports), for a spherical and a hyperbolic mirror surface. Gaussian beam analysis is compared to beam pattern calculations with the optical physics code GRASP, in order to verify the validity of gaussian optics approximation. The standard description with simply astigmatic beams, not adequate in more complex systems as the proposed two-mirror set-up, requires approximations, which are compared with the generalized astigmatic beam description. The ohmic losses at the end mirrors and the related localized heating due to the very large power density cause deformations that depends on the design of the cooling circuit. The distortion of the beam shape has been evaluated in a realistic case of mirror cooling with a small-channel system. The quantification of the effect depends on the precise evaluation ohmic losses and their enhancement in the long term due to the surface deterioration.

A spherical compact matched load, for high vacuum operation suited for short pulses (2 MW, 0.1 s) precise measurement has been designed to test high power gyrotrons Bruschi, Gandini, Muzzini, Spinicchia, Cirant, Gittini, Granucci, Mellera, Nardone, Simonetto, and Sozzi (Fusion Eng. Des. 56–57:649–654, 2001); Bruschi, Cirant, Gandini, Granucci, Mellera, Muzzini, Nardone, Simonetto, Sozzi, and Spinicchia (Nucl. Fusion 43:1513–1519, 2003); Bruschi, Cirant, Gandini, Gittini, Granucci, Mellera, Muzzini, Nardone, Simonetto, Sozzi, Spinicchia, Angella, and Signorelli (Development of CW and short-pulse calorimetric loads for high power millimeter-wave Beams, 23rd Symposium on Fusion Technology, September 20–24, 2004, Venice, Italy). In order to enhance the power handling capability of the load and to reduce the operation problems that may arise from an excessive reflection from the load, a ray tracing code has been written to model the power distribution on the inner surface and the pattern of the reflected radiation. The outcome of this code has been used to select a more convenient profile for the spreading mirror of the load and to optimize a pre-load specially conceived to minimize the power reflected fraction.

For high-temperature JET and TFTR discharges, electron cyclotron emission (ECE) measurements of central electron temperature were systematically found to be up to 20% higher than those taken with Thomson scattering. In recent high-performance JET discharges, central T e measurements, performed with LIDAR Thomson scattering and the X-mode ECE interferometer, have been studied in a large database, including deuterium (DD), and deuterium-tritium plasmas (DT). Discrepancies between T e measurements have been observed outside of the experimental uncertainties. ECE measurements, at high T e , have been found to be higher or lower than those of LIDAR, depending on the specific plasma scenario. In addition, discrepancies between the peaks of the second and third harmonic ranges of the ECE spectrum have been interpreted as evidence for the presence of non-Maxwellian features in the electron distribution function. These comparisons seem to suggest that such features can be found in most of the high-performance scenarios selected in this JET database.

This work studied the ablation of bovine brain tissue by free-running Erbium-YAG laser pulses. Single-shot interactions were investigated by means of an ultra-fast imaging technique. Thin sections of the treated tissue were processed for histochemical analysis of enzyme activity to assess the extent of thermal/mechanical damage. Thereafter, a scanning beam technique was employed to deliver multiple pulses over a definite region of tissue. An analytical balance was used to measure the removed mass in order to calculate the ablation efficiency. The present quantity has been compared to the amount of the tissue damaged, as assessed by the histochemical analysis. The present work shows that the interaction of the Erbium-YAG laser pulses with a soft tissue may cause a large amount of mechanical damage, while thermal damage is restricted within a thin layer around the ablation crater. A precise control of fluence and operating conditions prevents overwhelming side-effects, and possibly allows the use of the Erbium-YAG laser for the ablation of brain and other soft tissues.

New plasma regimes with high confinement, low core impurity accumulation and small Edge localized mode (ELMs) perturbations have been obtained close to ITER conditions in magnetically confined plasmas from the Joint European torus (JET) tokamak. Such regimes are achieved by means of optimized particle fuelling conditions which trigger a self-organize state with a strong increase in rotation and ion temperature and a decrease of the edge density. An interplay between core and edge plasma regions leads to reduced turbulence levels and outward impurity convection. These results pave the way to an attractive alternative to the standard plasmas considered for fusion energy generation in a tokamak with metallic wall environment such as the ones expected in ITER

The Low Frequency Instrument (LFI) of the ESA Planck CMB mission is an array of 22 ultra sensitive pseudocorrelation radiometers working at 30, 44, and 70 GHz. LFI has been calibrated and delivered for integration with the satellite to the European Space Agency on November 2006. The aim of Planck is to measure the anisotropy and polarization of the Cosmic Background Radiation with a sensitivity and angular resolution never reached before over the full sky. LFI is intrinsically sensitive to polarization thanks to the use of Ortho-Mode Transducers (OMT) located between the feedhorns and the pseudo-correlation radiometers. The OMTs are microwave passive components that divide the incoming radiation into two linear orthogonal components. A set of 11 OMTs (2 at 30 GHz, 3 at 44 GHz, and 6 at 70 GHz) were produced and tested. This work describes the design, development and performance of the eleven Flight Model OMTs of LFI. The final design was reached after several years of development. At first, Elegant Bread Board OMTs were produced to investigate the manufacturing technology and design requirements. Then, a set of 3 Qualification Model (QM) OMTs were designed, manufactured and tested in order to freeze the design and the manufacturing technology for the flight units. Finally, the Flight Models were produced and tested. It is shown that all the OMT units have been accepted for flight and the electromagnetic performance is at least marginally compliant with the requirements. Mechanically, the units passed all the thermoelastic qualification tests after a reworking necessary after the QM campaign.