Effects of plasma heating on the magnitude and distribution of plasma flows in the helical divertor of the Uragan-3M torsatron

Abstract

Recently, a strong up-down asymmetry in the poloidal distributions of diverted plasma flows has been observed in the l = 3/m = 9 Uragan-3M torsatron, in many features similar to what have been observed in the l = 2 Heliotron E heliotron/torsatron. With this asymmetry, the predominant outflow of the diverted plasma is directed with the ion toroidal drift. On this basis, the asymmetry can be related to the space non-uniformity of the charged particle loss. In the work reported, the magnitude of divertor flow in U-3M and the vertical asymmetry in its distribution are studied as functions of the heating parameter P/, P being the power absorbed in the plasma, and are juxtaposed with corresponding P-related changes in the density and fast ion content in the plasma. As P/ increases, an increase of fast ion content and of particle loss, on the one hand, and an increase of divertor flow magnitude and of vertical asymmetry of the flow, on the other hand, are observed. A mutual accordance between these processes validates the hypothesis on a dominating role of fast particle loss in formation of vertical asymmetry of divertor flows in helical devices.