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Simulation Study of Energetic Triton Confinement in the D-D Experiment on LHD

Masayuki HOMMA, Sadayoshi MURAKAMI, Mitsutaka ISOBE¹⁾, Hideki TOMITA²⁾ and Kunihiro OGAWA¹⁾

Department of Nuclear Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 615-8540, Japan

1)

National Institute for Fusion Science, Toki 509-5292, Japan

2)

Department of Quantum Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan

(Received 26 November 2014 / Accepted 25 February 2015 / Published 26 May 2015)

Abstract

Deuterium plasma experiments are planned in Large Helical Device (LHD). During deuterium plasma discharges, 1 MeV tritons are produced by D-D fusion reactions between deuterium beams and deuterium thermal plasmas. The motions of these energetic tritons are complicated because of their large finite orbit effect and the three-dimensional magnetic field configuration of LHD. The confinement of energetic tritons is investigated by the Global NEoclassical Transport (GNET) code, which can solve the five-dimensional drift kinetic equation using Monte Carlo methods. We evaluate the velocity space distribution and particle loss fraction of the energetic tritons. The loss of the tritons is attributed to two processes: prompt orbit loss and diffusive loss. The loss fraction of energetic tritons increases to 30% on a short time scale of approximately 10⁻⁵ s by prompt orbit loss and then gradually increases to 90% on a slow-down time scale of approximately 10⁻¹ s by diffusive loss for the assumed plasma parameters. The prompt loss fraction is also almost independent of the plasma density and largely depends on the magnetic configuration.

Copyright (c) 2015 The Japan Society of Plasma Science and Nuclear Fusion Research

Keywords

LHD, deuterium experiment, triton, energetic particle, GNET

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.10.3403050

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References

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This paper may be cited as follows:

Masayuki HOMMA, Sadayoshi MURAKAMI, Mitsutaka ISOBE, Hideki TOMITA and Kunihiro OGAWA, Plasma Fusion Res. 10, 3403050 (2015).