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European fusion studies shed light on disruptive phenomena at plasma edge
Recent research out of the United Kingdom and Germany is offering promising advances in the understanding of fusion plasmas, potentially bringing the dream of commercial fusion energy closer to reality.
Jinwen Zhang, Wei Zhao, Zuowei Wen, Lei Feng, Li Zhao, Lingfeng Wei, Xiang Chen, Guoliang Yuan
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 80 | Number 8 | November 2024 | Pages 976-983
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2023.2272538
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Runaway electrons (REs) generated during disruptions pose a significant safety threat to tokamaks, as they can melt and damage the plasma-facing components (PFCs). Therefore, studying RE behavior is crucial for fusion devices. The interaction between REs and the first wall/PFCs results in the emission of high-energy X-rays, known as bremsstrahlung. To investigate RE behavior, it is necessary to quantitatively evaluate the emission of hard X-rays. A real-time hard X-ray spectrometer, utilizing a LaBr3 detector, has been successfully developed for studying REs on the HL-2M tokamak. This spectrometer has a counting rate capability reaching 3 MHz, with an energy resolution of 3.3% at 662 keV (137Cs). The time resolution for energy spectrums is as short as 1 ms. During the HL-2M discharge, observations were made on the hard X-ray energy spectrum, and by analyzing the spectrum within the energy range of 250 keV to 750 keV, the temperature of the corresponding REs was deduced.