Studies of the plasma flow velocity in the edge and scrape off layer of tokamaks

聚变研究的世界努力已经在下一个大规模实验中迈出了重要的一步，称为ITER（国际热核聚变实验反应堆），这是一个燃烧的等离子体实验，致力于证明热核聚变作为动力源的可行性。即使这样一个大规模的项目正在进行中，基本的物理问题仍然存在，可以在现有的托卡马克中解决，ITER的磁几何。本研究计划的目的是研究托卡马克刮除层（SOL）中等离子体的主要组分的流动。据推测，这种等离子体流可能是反应堆内氚扩散的原因。因此，从技术的角度来看，如果这些流动没有得到更好的理解和控制，氚的捕获导致的活化可能会缩短聚变反应堆的使用寿命。从更基本的物理学观点来看，这些流动现在被认为是托卡马克约束机制的一部分。因此，更好地理解这些流，从而导致它们的控制，将带来热核炉的更有效的控制。

The world effort in fusion research has initiated a major step forward in the next large scale experiment called ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), a burning plasma experiment dedicated to demonstrate de feasibility of thermonuclear fusion as a power source. Even if such a large scale project is underway, fundamental physics issues remain and can be addressed in existing tokamaks, the magnetic geometry of ITER. The objective of the present research program is to study the flow of the main species of the plasma in the scrape off layer (SOL) of tokamaks. It is speculated that such plasma flows may be responsible for the spread of tritium inside the reactor. Therefore, from a technical standpoint, if these flows are not better understood and controlled, activation resulting from the trapping of tritium may shorten the useful life of the fusion reactor. From a more fundamental physics standpoint, these flows are now being invoked as being part of the underlying mechanisms in the confinement regimes in tokamaks. Consequently, a better understanding of these flows leading to their control will bring about a more efficient control of the thermonuclear furnace.