Rational magnetic flux surfaces in fusion (toroidal plasma confinement) devices can break the magnetic field lines and reconnect them in the form of magnetic islands. Formation of these magnetic islands can have a serious impact on the plasma confinement properties of the device. Islands can in general degrade the confinement by mixing up different regions of the plasma. However there has been experimental evidence of confinement improvement by island induced transport barriers, under certain conditions. Even though there are a large number of theoretical and experimental works on magnetic islands to date, there is clearly a paucity of convincing experimental understanding on the nature of behaviour of islands in plasma. This thesis reports detailed experimental studies conducted on the H-1NF heliac stellarator, to gain an in-depth understanding of magnetic islands and their influence in plasma confinement.¶ Work reported in this thesis can be mainly divided into three parts: (a) high resolution imaging of vacuum magnetic islands and flux surfaces of H-1NF, (b) accurate computer modeling of H-1NF magnetic geometry and (c) detailed experiments on magnetic islands in plasma configurations.¶ Electron-beam wire-tomography in the H-1NF has been used for the high resolution mapping of vacuum magnetic flux surfaces and islands. Point-to-point comparison of the mapping results with computer tracing, in conjunction with an image warping technique, has enabled systematic exploration of magnetic islands and surfaces of interest. A fast mapping technique has been developed, which significantly reduced the mapping time and made this technique suitable for mapping at higher magnetic fields.¶ Flux surface mapping has been carried out at various magnetic configurations and field strengths. The extreme accuracy of this technique has been exploited to understand the nature of error fields, by point-by-point matching with computer tracing results. This has helped in developing a best-fit computer model for H-1NF magnetic configurations, which can predict rotational transform correct to three decimal places. Results from plasma experiments on magnetic configuration studies are best explained by the new model.¶ Experiments with low order magnetic islands in plasma configurations yielded some new results. It has been observed that the low order magnetic islands (m = 2) near the core of the plasma serve as pockets of improved confinement region under favourable conditions. This results in significant profile modifications including enhancement of the radial electric field near the core to a large positive value. The characteristics of islands are found to be dependent on the plasma collisionality and the island width.¶ Experiments with a magnetic configuration which exhibits no vacuum islands, but the core rotational transform very close to low order rational value, show a spontaneous transition of the radial electric field near the core to a large positive value (nearly 5 kV/m), with a strong electric field shear (nearly 700 kV/m2) and localised improvement in confinement, during the discharge. Evidence indicates that the transition is driven by the excitation of low order magnetic islands near the axis during the plasma discharge, due to the modification of rotational transform profile by toroidal plasma currents. The situation is similar to the Core Electron-Root Confinement (CERC) observed during high temperature ECH plasma discharges on other helical devices. This result provides an experimental evidence for the hypothesis that the threshold conditions for observing CERC can be reduced by exciting magnetic islands near the core of the plasma.

Studies of resonant magnetic perturbations (RMP) have been an active topic in the tokamak research. The RMP technique involves the use of magnetic perturbations generated by external coils installed on a tokamak device. The resonant interaction between the plasma and RMP has favorable effects on magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability and other plasma parameters in tokamaks. The RMP experiments are carried out in the Saskatchewan Torus-Modified (STOR-M) tokamak using (l = 2, n = 1) helical coils carrying a static current pulse. The effect of RMP on the (m = 2, n = 1) magnetic islands is examined during ohmic discharges with high MHD activities. The amplitude and frequency of (2, 1) Mirnov fluctuations are significantly reduced after application of RMP. A phase of improved plasma confinement, characterized by a reduction in the H_alpha emission level and an increase in the soft x-ray (SXR) emission, is induced after application of RMP. It is also observed using the ion Doppler spectroscopy (IDS) that RMP can strongly affect the plasma rotation in STOR-M. It is found that during the RMP pulse, the toroidal velocity of C_III impurities (located at the plasma edge) increases in the co-current direction. However, the toroidal velocities of O_V and C_VI impurities (located near the plasma core) change direction from counter-current to co-current. The reduction of the toroidal flow velocity is accompanied by a reduction of the MHD frequency. It is also found that radial profiles of ion saturation current and floating potential in the edge region can be modified by RMP. An increase in the pedestal plasma density and a more negative electric field are observed at the plasma edge region during the RMP pulse. An internal probe array is assembled and installed in STOR-M to study the RMP penetration and the plasma response to RMP.

The thesis summarizes the current state of research of thermonuclear fusion with magnetic confinement and decribes the possible role of stochastization of magnetic field lines and magnetic perturbations in solving some of the problems that are encountered on the road to the exploitation of fusion. It presents a theoretical introduction to deterministic chaos and explains the connection of this theory to magnetic perturbations in tokamak. The results are presented mainly in the form of publications in journals and conference proceedings. Among them are: the comparison of chaotic diffusion of particles and field lines, where significant differences were found; the application of chaotic diffusion of particles to the problem of runaway electrons originating in disruptions, where our simulations contributed to explaining the experimental results from the JET tokamak; the calculation of spectra of perturbations for the COMPASS tokamak, done as a preparation for the upcoming experiments; and modelling of screening of perturbations by plasma, where the observations of divertor footprints show as a promising method to detect the screening.

Propõe-se analisar teoricamente a instabilidade disruptora que ocorre em plasmas confinados em Tokamaks, investigando-se a influencia de campos helicoidais ressonantes em seu equilíbrio. Para isso, considerou-se a superposição do campo magnético do plasma em equilíbrio MHD estático com o campo associado às ressonâncias, levando-se em conta a geometria toroidal do Tokamak. Devido a falta de simetria, as linhas do campo magnético total resultante desta superposição devem formar superfícies magnéticas apenas em algumas regiões do plasma. Usando o método da media, foram obtidas (analiticamente) funções de superfícies aproximadas que contem, em torno das regiões de ressonância do plasma, as linhas deste campo magnético total. Verificou-se que estas superfícies aproximadas têm estruturas de ilhas magnéticas. / It is proposed to analyse theoretically the disruptive instability that occurs in confined plasmas in Tokamaks, through investigation of the influence of resonant helical fields on their equilibrium. With this aim, a superposition of the magnetic field of the plasma in static MHD equilibrium with the field associated with the resonances is considered, taking into account the toroidal geometry of the tokamak. Due to the lack of symmetry, the lines of the total magnetic field resulting from this superposition must form magnetic surfaces only around some regions of the plasma. Using the averaging method, functions of approximate magnetic surfaces are obtained (analitically) around the regions of resonances of the plasma (they contain the lines of this total magnetic field). It was verified that these approximate surfaces have structures of magnetic islands.

Neste trabalho, consideramos os efeitos de um campo magnético ressonante externo sobre o plasma confinado em um tokamak. Este campo magnético pode ser produzido quer por condutores helicoidais ou por um limitador magnético caótico. O principal propósito desse campo magnético ressonante é criar uma região de linhas de força caóticas na borda da coluna de plasma que pode melhorar o confinamento do plasma. O campo magnético de equilíbrio foi obtido resolvendo-se a equação de GRAD-SHAFRANOV em um sistema de coordenadas intrinsecamente toroidal (as coordenadas polares toroidais). Obtivemos o campo magnético, gerado pelos condutores helicoidais, através da solução explícita da equação de LAPLACE no mesmo sistema de coordenadas. A partir desse campo magnético, tomando o termo de mais baixa ordem, obtivemos analiticamente um mapa estroboscópico simplético para um conjunto de anéis limitadores magnéticos caóticos. Calculamos esse mapa estroboscópico simplético usando uma formulação hamiltoniana e adotando a. ação dos limitadores magnéticos caóticos como uma sequência de pulsos do tipo função delta. Com esse mapa estroboscópico simplético, caracterizamos algumas ilhas magnéticas ressonantes e a transição para um regime de caos global através da superposição das mesmas. Usamos esse mapa estroboscópico simplético para estudar o transporte das linhas de força na borda da coluna de plasma. A perda de linhas de força caóticas, que atingem a parede interna do tokamak, segue uma distribuição de POISSON. Calculamos, ainda, o número médio de voltas, ao redor da câmara de vácuo, necessárias para que uma linha de força caótica atinja a parede da câmara. / In this work, we have considered the effects of an external resonant magnetic field on the plasma confined in a tokamak. This resonant field can be produced by helical windings or by a chaotic magnetic limiter. The main purpose of this resonant magnetic field is to create a region of chaotic field lines at the edge of the plasma that can improve the confinement of the plasma. The equilibrium tokamak field was obtained by solving the GRAD-SHAFRANOV equation in an intrinsically toroidal coordinate system (the toroidal polar coordinates). We have obtained the magnetic field which has been generated by helical windings through an explicit solution of the LAPCACE equation in the same coordinate system. From this magnetic field, taken in its lowest order, we have analytically obtained a sympletic stroboscopic map for a set of chaotic magnetic limiters. We have calculated this sympletic stroboscopic map by using a Hamiltonian formulation and by supposing the action of the chaotic magnetic limiters as a sequence of delta-function pulses. With this sympletic stroboscopic map we have characterized some resonant magnetic islands and the onset of global chaos through their overlap. We have used this sympletic stroboscopic map in order to study the transport of the field lines at the edge of the plasma. The loss of chaotic field lines that reach the inner wall of the tokamak follows a POISSON distribution. We have also calculated the average number of toroidal turns for a chaotic field line to reach the inner wall of the tokamak.

Neste trabalho, consideramos os efeitos de um campo magnético ressonante externo sobre o plasma confinado em um tokamak. Este campo magnético pode ser produzido quer por condutores helicoidais ou por um limitador magnético caótico. O principal propósito desse campo magnético ressonante é criar uma região de linhas de força caóticas na borda da coluna de plasma que pode melhorar o confinamento do plasma. O campo magnético de equilíbrio foi obtido resolvendo-se a equação de GRAD-SHAFRANOV em um sistema de coordenadas intrinsecamente toroidal (as coordenadas polares toroidais). Obtivemos o campo magnético, gerado pelos condutores helicoidais, através da solução explícita da equação de LAPLACE no mesmo sistema de coordenadas. A partir desse campo magnético, tomando o termo de mais baixa ordem, obtivemos analiticamente um mapa estroboscópico simplético para um conjunto de anéis limitadores magnéticos caóticos. Calculamos esse mapa estroboscópico simplético usando uma formulação hamiltoniana e adotando a. ação dos limitadores magnéticos caóticos como uma sequência de pulsos do tipo função delta. Com esse mapa estroboscópico simplético, caracterizamos algumas ilhas magnéticas ressonantes e a transição para um regime de caos global através da superposição das mesmas. Usamos esse mapa estroboscópico simplético para estudar o transporte das linhas de força na borda da coluna de plasma. A perda de linhas de força caóticas, que atingem a parede interna do tokamak, segue uma distribuição de POISSON. Calculamos, ainda, o número médio de voltas, ao redor da câmara de vácuo, necessárias para que uma linha de força caótica atinja a parede da câmara. / In this work, we have considered the effects of an external resonant magnetic field on the plasma confined in a tokamak. This resonant field can be produced by helical windings or by a chaotic magnetic limiter. The main purpose of this resonant magnetic field is to create a region of chaotic field lines at the edge of the plasma that can improve the confinement of the plasma. The equilibrium tokamak field was obtained by solving the GRAD-SHAFRANOV equation in an intrinsically toroidal coordinate system (the toroidal polar coordinates). We have obtained the magnetic field which has been generated by helical windings through an explicit solution of the LAPCACE equation in the same coordinate system. From this magnetic field, taken in its lowest order, we have analytically obtained a sympletic stroboscopic map for a set of chaotic magnetic limiters. We have calculated this sympletic stroboscopic map by using a Hamiltonian formulation and by supposing the action of the chaotic magnetic limiters as a sequence of delta-function pulses. With this sympletic stroboscopic map we have characterized some resonant magnetic islands and the onset of global chaos through their overlap. We have used this sympletic stroboscopic map in order to study the transport of the field lines at the edge of the plasma. The loss of chaotic field lines that reach the inner wall of the tokamak follows a POISSON distribution. We have also calculated the average number of toroidal turns for a chaotic field line to reach the inner wall of the tokamak.

Propõe-se analisar teoricamente a instabilidade disruptora que ocorre em plasmas confinados em Tokamaks, investigando-se a influencia de campos helicoidais ressonantes em seu equilíbrio. Para isso, considerou-se a superposição do campo magnético do plasma em equilíbrio MHD estático com o campo associado às ressonâncias, levando-se em conta a geometria toroidal do Tokamak. Devido a falta de simetria, as linhas do campo magnético total resultante desta superposição devem formar superfícies magnéticas apenas em algumas regiões do plasma. Usando o método da media, foram obtidas (analiticamente) funções de superfícies aproximadas que contem, em torno das regiões de ressonância do plasma, as linhas deste campo magnético total. Verificou-se que estas superfícies aproximadas têm estruturas de ilhas magnéticas. / It is proposed to analyse theoretically the disruptive instability that occurs in confined plasmas in Tokamaks, through investigation of the influence of resonant helical fields on their equilibrium. With this aim, a superposition of the magnetic field of the plasma in static MHD equilibrium with the field associated with the resonances is considered, taking into account the toroidal geometry of the tokamak. Due to the lack of symmetry, the lines of the total magnetic field resulting from this superposition must form magnetic surfaces only around some regions of the plasma. Using the averaging method, functions of approximate magnetic surfaces are obtained (analitically) around the regions of resonances of the plasma (they contain the lines of this total magnetic field). It was verified that these approximate surfaces have structures of magnetic islands.

In this work we study the magnetic field modeling of realistic non-axisymmetric plasma equilibrium configurations and the heat flux patterns on the plasma facing components of tokamak divertor discharges. We start by establishing the relation between generic magnetic configurations and Hamiltonian dynamical systems. We apply the concept of magnetic helicity, used to establish topological bounds for the magnetic field lines in ideal plasmas, and to understand the self-consistency of reconnected magnetic surfaces in non-axisymmetric configurations. After this theoretical discussion, we present some results on magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium and the use of analytical solutions to the Grad-Shafranov equation for describing real tokamak discharges based on the experimental diagnostics and realistic boundary conditions. We also compare the equilibrium reconstruction of a DIII-D discharge obtained with a numerical reconstruction routine, developed as part of this research, and the EFIT code used by several tokamak laboratories around the world. The magnetic topology and plasma profiles obtained with our method are in considerable agreement with the numerical reconstruction performed with the other code. Then, we introduce a simplified description of the generic non-axisymmetric magnetic field created by known sources and implement it numerically for describing the magnetic field due to external coils in tokamak devices. After that, we use this routines to develop a numerical procedure to adjust a suitable set of non-linear parameters of internal filamentary currents, which are intended to model the plasma response based on the magnetic field measurements outside the plasma. Finally, these methods are used to model the magnetic field created by a slowly rotating plasma instability in a real DIII-D discharge. The plasma response modeling is based on the magnetic probe measurements and allow us to calculate the magnetic field in arbitrary locations near the plasma edge. Using this information we determine the non-axisymmetric plasma edge through the magnetic invariant manifolds routine developed during this work. The intersection of the calculated invariant manifold with the tokamak chamber agrees considerably well with the heat flux measurements for the same discharge at the divertor plates, indicating the development of a rotating manifold due to the internal asymmetric plasma currents, giving quantitative support to our simplified description of the magnetic field and the plasma edge definition through the invariant manifolds. / Neste trabalho estuda-se a modelagem do campo magnético em configurações realistas de plasmas em equilíbrio não-axissimétrico e o fluxo de calor nos componentes em contato com o plasma em descargas de tokamaks com desviadores poloidais. Começa-se estabelecendo a relação entre configurações magnéticas arbitrárias e sistemas dinâmicos Hamiltonianos. Então aplicamos o conceito de helicidade magnética, que é usado para estabelecer limitações topológicas sobre as linhas de campo magnético em plasmas ideais, assim como para compreender a auto-consistência das superfícies magnéticas reconectadas em configurações não-axissimétricas. Após esta discussão teórica, apresentam-se alguns resultados sobre o equilíbrio magnetohidrodinâmico e o uso de soluções analíticas à equação de Grad-Shafranov para descrever descargas reais em tokamaks, com base em diagnósticos experimentais e condições de contorno realistas. Também realiza-se uma comparação entre a reconstrução do equilíbrio de uma descarga do DIII-D, obtida mediante uma rotina numérica desenvolvida para esta pesquisa, com a obtida mediante o código EFIT, usado amplamente em diversos tokamaks. Após isso, apresenta-se uma descrição simplificada do campo magnético não-axissimétrico, criado por fontes determinadas, e a sua implementação para descrever o campo magnético devido às correntes externas em tokamaks. Então, usam-se estas rotinas para desenvolver um procedimento numérico que ajusta um conjunto adequado de parâmetros não-lineares de correntes filamentares internas, com as quais pretende-se modelar a resposta do plasma com base nas medidas de campo magnético fora do plasma. Finalmente, estes métodos são utilizados para modelar o campo magnético criado por uma instabilidade com rotação lenta numa descarga do DIII-D. Com base nas medidas das sondas magnéticas é possível modelar os campos criados em regiões arbitrárias próximas da borda do plasma. Usando esta informação é possível determinar a borda não-axissimétrica do plasma mediante as invariantes magnéticas calculadas com a utilização de uma rotina desenvolvida durante este trabalho. A intersecção da superfície invariante com a câmara do tokamak coincide satisfatoriamente com as medidas de fluxo de calor nas placas do divertor para a mesma descarga, indicando o desenvolvimento de uma variedade giratória criada pelas correntes de plasma não-axissimétricas, e sustentando quantitativamente a nossa descrição simplificada do campo magnético, assim como a definição da borda do plasma mediante as invariantes magnéticas.

In this work we study the magnetic field modeling of realistic non-axisymmetric plasma equilibrium configurations and the heat flux patterns on the plasma facing components of tokamak divertor discharges. We start by establishing the relation between generic magnetic configurations and Hamiltonian dynamical systems. We apply the concept of magnetic helicity, used to establish topological bounds for the magnetic field lines in ideal plasmas, and to understand the self-consistency of reconnected magnetic surfaces in non-axisymmetric configurations. After this theoretical discussion, we present some results on magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium and the use of analytical solutions to the Grad-Shafranov equation for describing real tokamak discharges based on the experimental diagnostics and realistic boundary conditions. We also compare the equilibrium reconstruction of a DIII-D discharge obtained with a numerical reconstruction routine, developed as part of this research, and the EFIT code used by several tokamak laboratories around the world. The magnetic topology and plasma profiles obtained with our method are in considerable agreement with the numerical reconstruction performed with the other code. Then, we introduce a simplified description of the generic non-axisymmetric magnetic field created by known sources and implement it numerically for describing the magnetic field due to external coils in tokamak devices. After that, we use this routines to develop a numerical procedure to adjust a suitable set of non-linear parameters of internal filamentary currents, which are intended to model the plasma response based on the magnetic field measurements outside the plasma. Finally, these methods are used to model the magnetic field created by a slowly rotating plasma instability in a real DIII-D discharge. The plasma response modeling is based on the magnetic probe measurements and allow us to calculate the magnetic field in arbitrary locations near the plasma edge. Using this information we determine the non-axisymmetric plasma edge through the magnetic invariant manifolds routine developed during this work. The intersection of the calculated invariant manifold with the tokamak chamber agrees considerably well with the heat flux measurements for the same discharge at the divertor plates, indicating the development of a rotating manifold due to the internal asymmetric plasma currents, giving quantitative support to our simplified description of the magnetic field and the plasma edge definition through the invariant manifolds. / Neste trabalho estuda-se a modelagem do campo magnético em configurações realistas de plasmas em equilíbrio não-axissimétrico e o fluxo de calor nos componentes em contato com o plasma em descargas de tokamaks com desviadores poloidais. Começa-se estabelecendo a relação entre configurações magnéticas arbitrárias e sistemas dinâmicos Hamiltonianos. Então aplicamos o conceito de helicidade magnética, que é usado para estabelecer limitações topológicas sobre as linhas de campo magnético em plasmas ideais, assim como para compreender a auto-consistência das superfícies magnéticas reconectadas em configurações não-axissimétricas. Após esta discussão teórica, apresentam-se alguns resultados sobre o equilíbrio magnetohidrodinâmico e o uso de soluções analíticas à equação de Grad-Shafranov para descrever descargas reais em tokamaks, com base em diagnósticos experimentais e condições de contorno realistas. Também realiza-se uma comparação entre a reconstrução do equilíbrio de uma descarga do DIII-D, obtida mediante uma rotina numérica desenvolvida para esta pesquisa, com a obtida mediante o código EFIT, usado amplamente em diversos tokamaks. Após isso, apresenta-se uma descrição simplificada do campo magnético não-axissimétrico, criado por fontes determinadas, e a sua implementação para descrever o campo magnético devido às correntes externas em tokamaks. Então, usam-se estas rotinas para desenvolver um procedimento numérico que ajusta um conjunto adequado de parâmetros não-lineares de correntes filamentares internas, com as quais pretende-se modelar a resposta do plasma com base nas medidas de campo magnético fora do plasma. Finalmente, estes métodos são utilizados para modelar o campo magnético criado por uma instabilidade com rotação lenta numa descarga do DIII-D. Com base nas medidas das sondas magnéticas é possível modelar os campos criados em regiões arbitrárias próximas da borda do plasma. Usando esta informação é possível determinar a borda não-axissimétrica do plasma mediante as invariantes magnéticas calculadas com a utilização de uma rotina desenvolvida durante este trabalho. A intersecção da superfície invariante com a câmara do tokamak coincide satisfatoriamente com as medidas de fluxo de calor nas placas do divertor para a mesma descarga, indicando o desenvolvimento de uma variedade giratória criada pelas correntes de plasma não-axissimétricas, e sustentando quantitativamente a nossa descrição simplificada do campo magnético, assim como a definição da borda do plasma mediante as invariantes magnéticas.