The H-mode pedestal, ELMs and TF ripple effects in JT-60U/JET dimensionless identity experiments

This paper summarizes results of dimensionless identity experiments in JT-60U and JET, aimed at the comparison of the H-mode pedestal and ELM behaviour in the two devices. Given their similar size, dimensionless matched plasmas are also similar in their dimensional parameters (in particular, the plasma minor radius a is the same in JET and JT-60U). Power and density scans were carried out at two values of Ip, providing a q scan (q95 = 3.1 and 5.1) with fixed (and matched) toroidal field. Contrary to initial expectations, a dimensionless match between the two devices was quite difficult to achieve. In general, pped in JT-60U is lower than in JET and, at low q, the pedestal pressure of JT-60U with a Type I ELMy edge is matched in JET only in the Type III ELM regime. At q95 = 5.1, a dimensionless match in ρ*, ν* and βp,ped is obtained with Type I ELMs, but only with low power JET H-modes. These results motivated a closer investigation of experimental conditions in the two devices, to identify possible ‘hidden’ physics that prevents obtaining a good match of pedestal values over a large range of plasmas parameters. Ripple-induced ion losses of the medium bore plasma used in JT-60U for the similarity experiments are identified as the main difference with JET. The magnitude of the JT-60U ripple losses is sufficient to induce counter-toroidal rotation in co-injected plasma. The influence of ripple losses was demonstrated at q95 = 5.1: reducing ripple losses by ≈2 (from 4.3 to 1.9 MW) by replacing positive with negative neutral beam injection at approximately constant Pin resulted in an increased pped in JT-60U, providing a good match to full power JET H-modes. At the same time, the counter-toroidal rotation decreased. Physics mechanisms relating ripple losses to pedestal performance are not yet identified, and the possible role of velocity shear in the pedestal stability, as well as the possible influence of ripple on thermal ion transport are briefly discussed. Toroidal rotation of the ITER reference inductive Q = 10 H-mode is predicted to be rather low, of the order of ∼1/10 of the frequency of typical JET H-modes. Nonetheless, fast ion ripple losses in that scenario are also predicted to be negligible (≲1%), and therefore plasma toroidal rotation slow-down or ripple-induced counter-rotation should not affect pedestal parameters and stability in ITER. Finally, the possible effect of ripple on thermal transport may deserve more attention in future experiments and modelling, since the ripple magnitude of ITER is intermediate between that of JET and JT-60U.