Initial investigation of core transport during the first W7-X experimental campaign

Novimir Pablant

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

Friday, December 16, 2016

3:00pm

NW17-218

PSFC Seminars

Abstract: Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) is the first large scale optimized stellarator, the first experimental campaign of which was completed in March of 2016. An overview of the initial run campaign will be presented, with an emphasis on initial investigations of core transport and the role of the radial electric field profile (Er). Experimental measurements of the Er profiles will be compared to neoclassical predictions, providing validation and confidence in the validity of the calculations used in developing the optimized design.  The global energy balance and confinement time will be presented and shown in the context of expectations from previous experiments.  Finally the current experimental status and schedule, along with opportunities for participation will be discussed.

Bio: Novimir pablant is a research scientist at the Princeton Plasma Phyisics Laboratory currently investigating core energy and impurity transport on the W7-X and LHD stellarators in addition to the development of x-ray imaging crystal spectrometer (XICS) diagnostics.  Novimir received his Bachelors degree from University of California Santa Cruz and completed his Ph.D. in 2010 from the University of California San Diego.   His thesis topic, under the advisement of Keith Burrell, was the development of MSE-LR, MSE-LS and main ion charge exchange diagnostics on the DIII-D tokamak.  Novimir has been involved with x-ray diagnostic development at Alcator C-Mod since 2011, which includes the first development of a multi-energy soft x-ray pinhole camera (ME-SXR).