High‐beta discharges in the DIII‐D tokamak

Low-{ital q} ({ital q}{sub 95}{lt}3) double-null divertor discharges with values of the volume-average toroidal beta as high as 9.3% have been operated in the DIII-D tokamak (Fusion Technol. {bold 8}, 441 (1985)). In discharges with {ital q}{sub 95}{approx}5, values of {beta}{sub {ital T}}/({ital I}/{ital aB}) as high as 5 have been obtained. These discharges are shown to be at or below the stability limit to the value of beta for infinite-{ital n}, ideal ballooning modes. The discharges are significantly below the beta limit for ideal,low toroidal mode number kink modes. The kink mode beta limit is shown to be strongly dependent on the radial profiles of plasma pressure and current. The theoretical beta limit in DIII-D is shown to be in the range {beta}{sub {ital T}}/({ital I}/{ital aB})=4 --5 depending on the value of {ital I}/{ital aB}, and this is consistent with the experiment. High-beta discharges have been operated with ion temperature up to 17 keV. Steady-state, high-beta, low-{ital q} operation is demonstrated by a discharge with {ital I}/{ital aB}=2.6, {ital q}{sub 95}=2.7, in which {beta}{sub {ital T}}{gt}7% is maintained for 1.5 sec.