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Energetic ions have the potential to drive instabilities with toroidal mode number nϕ=0 in tokamak fusion plasmas. A necessary condition is that their distribution function is either anisotropic or exhibits a region of phase space with a positive slope in the energy direction (so-called ‘bump-on-tail’ distribution). Here an exploration of both possibilities is presented for Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequency (ICRF) accelerated energetic ions. It is found that ion cyclotron resonance layers placed on the high-field side of the magnetic axis provide the most conducive conditions for the drive of vertical nϕ=0 modes. We also discuss to what extent sawtooth redistribution of the ICRF accelerated ions can transiently lead to distribution functions that are locally inverted in the energy direction. However, the latter effect appears to be less efficient in driving nϕ=0 vertical modes than velocity space anisotropy for high-field-side resonances.

The phenomenon of ion cyclotron resonance allows for determining mass-to-charge ratio, m / z , of an ensemble of ions by means of measurements of their cyclotron frequency, ω c . In Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS), the ω c quantity is usually unavailable for direct measurements: the resonant state is located close to the reduced cyclotron frequency (ω + ), whereas the ω c and the corresponding m / z values may be calculated via theoretical derivation from an experimental estimate of the ω + quantity. Here, we describe an experimental observation of a new resonant state, which is located close to the ω c frequency and is established because of azimuthally-dependent trapping electric fields of the recently developed ICR cells with narrow aperture detection electrodes. We show that in mass spectra, peaks close to ω + frequencies can be reduced to negligible levels relative to peaks close to ω c frequencies. Due to reduced errors with which the ω c quantity is obtained, the new resonance provides a means of cyclotron frequency measurements with precision greater than that achieved when ω + frequency peaks are employed. The described phenomenon may be considered for a development into an FT-ICR MS technology with increased mass accuracy for applications in basic research, life, and environmental sciences. Graphical Abstract ᅟ

A scenario of ion cyclotron range of frequency (ICRF) wave injection from a top launcher is proposed as an efficient and direct heating method for thermal deuterium ions in deuterium–tritium tokamak plasmas. Positioned between the tritium cyclotron layer and ion–ion hybrid layer, the top launcher allows effective wave penetration to the ion–ion hybrid layer and enables significant power transfer to thermal deuterium. This is achieved through favorable wave polarization for fundamental cyclotron damping. There is a Doppler broadening around the cyclotron resonance and this overlaps with the ion–ion hybrid layer. Low toroidal mode numbers and ion temperature in the range of 5–20 keV are favorable for enhancing the main ion damping relative to electron damping. In contrast to the neutral beam injection, which penetration strongly depends on machine size and plasma density, the proposed ICRF-based direct ion heating scenario is shown to be scalable and applicable to both larger and smaller tokamak devices within practical constraints.

Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) at the cyclotron frequency instead of the reduced cyclotron frequency has been experimentally demonstrated using narrow aperture detection electrode (NADEL) ICR cells. Here, based on the results of SIMION simulations, we provide the initial mechanistic insights into the cyclotron frequency regime generation in FT-ICR MS. The reason for cyclotron frequency regime is found to be a new type of a collective motion of ions with a certain dispersion in the initial characteristics, such as pre-excitation ion velocities, in a highly non-quadratic trapping potential as realized in NADEL ICR cells. During ion detection, ions of the same m/z move in phase for cyclotron ion motion but out of phase for magnetron (drift) ion motion destroying signals at the fundamental and high order harmonics that comprise reduced cyclotron frequency components. After an initial magnetron motion period, ion clouds distribute into a novel type of structures – ion slabs, elliptical cylinders, or star-like structures. These structures rotate at the Larmor (half-cyclotron) frequency on a plane orthogonal to the magnetic field, inducing signals at the true cyclotron frequency on each of the narrow aperture detection electrodes. To eliminate the reduced cyclotron frequency peak upon dipolar ion detection, a number of slabs or elliptical cylinders organizing a star-like configuration are formed. In a NADEL ICR cell with quadrupolar ion detection, a single slab or an elliptical cylinder is sufficient to minimize the intensity of the reduced cyclotron frequency components, particularly the second harmonic. Graphical Abstract ᅟ

In JET deuterium-tritium (D-T) plasmas, the fusion power is produced through thermonuclear reactions and reactions between thermal ions and fast particles generated by neutral beam injection (NBI) heating or accelerated by electromagnetic wave heating in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRFs). To complement the experiments with 50/50 D/T mixtures maximizing thermonuclear reactivity, a scenario with dominant non-thermal reactivity has been developed and successfully demonstrated during the second JET deuterium-tritium campaign DTE2, as it was predicted to generate the highest fusion power in JET with a Be/W wall. It was performed in a 15/85 D/T mixture with pure D-NBI heating combined with ICRF heating at the fundamental deuterium resonance. In steady plasma conditions, a record 59 MJ of fusion energy has been achieved in a single pulse, of which 50.5 MJ were produced in a 5 s time window ( P fus = 10.1 MW) with average Q = 0.33, confirming predictive modelling in preparation of the experiment. The highest fusion power in these experiments, P fus = 12.5 MW with average Q = 0.38, was achieved over a shorter 2 s time window, with the period of sustainment limited by high-Z impurity accumulation. This scenario provides unique data for the validation of physics-based models used to predict D-T fusion power.

Topoisomerase IIα (TOP2A) is a core component of mitotic chromosomes and important for establishing mitotic chromosome condensation. The primary roles of TOP2A in mitosis have been difficult to decipher due to its multiple functions across the cell cycle. To more precisely understand the role of TOP2A in mitosis, we used the auxin-inducible degron (AID) system to rapidly degrade the protein at different stages of the human cell cycle. Removal of TOP2A prior to mitosis does not affect prophase timing or the initiation of chromosome condensation. Instead, it prevents chromatin condensation in prometaphase, extends the length of prometaphase, and ultimately causes cells to exit mitosis without chromosome segregation occurring. Surprisingly, we find that removal of TOP2A from cells arrested in prometaphase or metaphase cause dramatic loss of compacted mitotic chromosome structure and conclude that TOP2A is crucial for maintenance of mitotic chromosomes. Treatments with drugs used to poison/inhibit TOP2A function, such as etoposide and ICRF-193, do not phenocopy the effects on chromosome structure of TOP2A degradation by AID. Our data point to a role for TOP2A as a structural chromosome maintenance enzyme locking in condensation states once sufficient compaction is achieved.

Plasmas have been recently studied as topological materials. However, a comprehensive picture of topological phases and topological phase transitions in cold magnetized plasmas is still missing. Here we systematically map out all the topological phases and establish the bulk-edge correspondence in cold magnetized plasmas. We find that for the linear eigenmodes, there are 10 topological phases in the parameter space of density n , magnetic field B , and parallel wavenumber k z , separated by the surfaces of Langmuir wave-L wave resonance, Langmuir wave-cyclotron wave resonance, and zero magnetic field. For fixed B and k z , only the phase transition at the Langmuir wave-cyclotron wave resonance corresponds to edge modes. A sufficient and necessary condition for the existence of this type of edge modes is given and verified by numerical solutions. We demonstrate that edge modes exist not only on a plasma-vacuum interface but also on more general plasma-plasma interfaces. This finding broadens the possible applications of these exotic excitations in space and laboratory plasmas. Magnetized plasma can be regarded as topological matter. Here the authors identify a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of topological edge mode and find that cold magnetized plasma has ten topological phases in the plasma frequency, cyclotron frequency and wave-vector space.

Next generation tritium decay experiments to determine the absolute neutrino mass require high-precision measurements of β-decay electron energies close to the kinematic end point. To achieve this, the development of high phase-space density sources of atomic tritium is required, along with the implementation of methods to control the motion of these atoms to allow extended observation times. A promising approach to efficiently and accurately measure the kinetic energies of individual β-decay electrons generated in these dilute atomic gases, is to determine the frequency of the cyclotron radiation they emit in a precisely characterised magnetic field. This cyclotron radiation emission spectroscopy technique can benefit from recent developments in quantum technologies. Absolute static-field magnetometry and electrometry, which is essential for the precise determination of the electron kinetic energies from the frequency of their emitted cyclotron radiation, can be performed using atoms in superpositions of circular Rydberg states. Quantum-limited microwave amplifiers will allow precise cyclotron frequency measurements to be made with maximal signal-to-noise ratios and minimal observation times. Exploiting the opportunities offered by quantum technologies in these key areas, represents the core activity of the Quantum Technologies for Neutrino Mass project. Its goal is to develop a new experimental apparatus that can enable a determination of the absolute neutrino mass with a sensitivity on the order of 10meV/c2.

Instabilities in multiplies of ion cyclotron frequency range are identified and termed as core ion cyclotron emission (ICE) in recent HL-2A neutral beam injection heated experiments. Characteristics of the core ICE are presented, including frequency dependence and harmonics features. The detected frequencies are found to agree well with the multiplies of the deuterium cyclotron frequency around the magnetic axis. Additionally, the core ICE exhibits a predominantly compressional property. Observations of distinct spectrum features and individual excitation of each harmonic have demonstrated that the core ICE harmonics are independent multiple modes. Notably, the variation of plasma current is a necessary condition for exciting the 4th harmonic ICE individually. The results suggest that the drive mechanism of core ICE varies between the different frequency ranges.

Radiofrequency sheath rectification is a phenomenon relevant to the operation of Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequencies (ICRFs) actuators in tokamaks. Techniques to model the sheath rectification on 3D ICRF antenna geometries have only recently become available (Shiraiw et al 2023 Nucl. Fusion 63 026024; Beers et al 2021 Phys. Plasmas 28 093503). In this work, we apply the ‘sheath-equivalent dielectric layer’ technique, used previously only on linear devices (Beers et al 2021 Phys. Plasmas 28 103508), in tokamak geometry, computing rectified sheath potentials on the WEST ICRF antenna. Advancing the state of the art in sheath rectification modeling, we compute the sheath potentials not just on the limiters, but also on the Faraday Screen bars. The calculations show a peak rectified DC potential of 300 V on the limiters and 500 V on the Faraday screen. Assuming a typical sputtering yield curve, the RF sheath rectification increases the sputtering yield from the limiters by a factor of 2.6 w.r.t. the sputtering due to the non-rectified thermal sheath.