Early Career Award Summary

In May 2014, Brian was granted a DOE Early Career Research Program award for his proposal “Exploration of main-ion properties at the boundary of fusion reactors” to develop a main-ion charge-exchange diagnostic suitable for the H-mode pedestal and study the transport of particles, energy and momentum in the main-ion channel. This early career award (ECA) proposed a research program of diagnostic development, experimental and theoretical plasma physics covering five years and funded at the level of $2.5 M. The funded research program spanned the years 2014 to 2019, achieved eight first author publications, five invited talks and two Department of Energy Fusion Energy Sciences Web Highlights. Two postdocs were brought into the project and both were hired to research staff after their postdoc term ended. For these achievements, Brian was awarded the Kaul Foundation Prize for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research and Technology Development in 2017 by Princeton University “For groundbreaking studies in deuterium charge exchange spectroscopy, leading to the first routine measurement of main ion flow in a fusion plasma.” Results produced by the ECA team have supported, and continue to support multiple other talks, papers, proceedings and research activities at DIII-D.

Scientific Productivity

Highlights, Press Releases and Seminars

Active spectroscopy measurements of the Deuterium temperature, rotation, and density in the pedestal region of the DIII-D tokamak

Measuring the Ion Temperature, Rotation and Density: Impurity and Main-ion Charge Exchange Recombination Spectroscopy

Not All Ions in Tokamaks Go with the Flow

Recent advances in measuring and understanding plasma rotation in the DIII-D tokamak

Advances in Measuring and Understanding Plasma Rotation in Tokamaks

For groundbreaking studies in deuterium charge exchange spectroscopy, leading to the first routine measurement of main ion flow in a fusion plasma

Computer simulations of DIII-D experiments shed light on mysterious plasma flows

Plasma Turbulence Generates Flow in Fusion Reactors

Experimental Study of Transport Driven Intrinsic Rotation and the Pedestal Top in the DIII-D Tokamak

Exploration of main-ion properties at the boundary of fusion reactors

First Author Publications by ECA Team

Main-ion Intrinsic Toroidal Rotation Across the ITG/TEM Boundary in DIII-D Discharges During Ohmic and Electron Cyclotron Heating

Relative Intensity Calibration of the DIII-D Charge-Exchange Recombination Spectroscopy System Using Neutral Beam Injection into Gas

Active spectroscopy measurements of the deuterium temperature, rotation, and density from the core to scrape off layer on the DIII-D tokamak

Main ion and impurity edge profile evolution across the L- to H-mode transition on DIII-D

Validation of the kinetic-turbulent-neoclassical theory for edge intrinsic rotation in DIII-D

Deuterium charge exchange recombination spectroscopy from the top of the pedestal to the scrape off layer in H-mode plasmas

Measurement of deuterium density profiles in the H-mode steep gradient region using charge exchange recombination spectroscopy on DIII-D

High resolution main-ion charge exchange spectroscopy in the DIII-D H-mode pedestal

Co-Author Publications Supported by ECA Team

Creation and sustainment of wide pedestal quiescent H-mode with zero net neutral beam torque

Predicting the rotation profile in ITER

DIII-D shaping demonstrates correlation of intrinsic momentum with energy

Safety factor and turbulence dynamics dependence of the L-H power threshold on DIII-D

Synthetic diagnostic for assessing spatial averaging of charge exchange recombination spectroscopy measurements

OMFIT Tokamak Profile Data Fitting and Physics Analysis

Impact of toroidal and poloidal mode spectra on the control of non-axisymmetric fields in tokamaks

Dependence of intrinsic torque and momentum confinement on normalized gyroradius and collisionality in the DIII-D tokamak

Experimental evidence of edge intrinsic momentum source driven by kinetic ion loss and edge radial electric fields in tokamaks

DIII-D research to address key challenges for ITER and fusion energy

Invited Talks by ECA Team

Main-ion Thermal Transport in High Performance DIII-D Edge Transport Barriers

Observations of Main-ion Toroidal Rotation and Turbulence Fluctuations Across the ITG/TEM Transition in DIII-D and Comparison to Gyrokinetic Simulations

Main-ion and impurity rotation, temperature, and density evolution across the L-H transition on DIII-D

Active Spectroscopy Measurements of the Deuterium Temperature, Rotation, and Density from the Core to the Scrape Off Layer on the DIII-D Tokamak

Validation of Kinetic-Turbulent-Neoclassical Theory for Edge Intrinsic Rotation in DIII-D Plasmas

Validation of Kinetic-Turbulent-Neoclassical Theory for Edge Intrinsic Rotation in DIII-D Plasmas

Validation of Theoretical Models of Intrinsic Torque in DIII-D and Projection to ITER by Dimensionless Scaling

Contributions to Conferences and Presentations by ECA Team

Testing the DIII-D Co/Counter Off-axis Neutral Beam Injected Power and Ability to Balance Injected Torque

Turbulence Flow Dynamics and Mode Structure Impacts on the L-H Transition

Effect of pedestal fluctuations on inter-ELM pedestal recovery and ELM characteristics in ECH dominated discharges in DIII-D

Reducing the L-H Transition Power Threshold via Neoclassical Toroidal Viscosity, Edge Rotation Reversals, and Shape Changes

Main-ion Thermal Transport in High Performance DIII-D Edge Transport Barriers

Intrinsic rotation reversals of JET and DIII-D plasmas in Deuterium and Hydrogen

Comparison of main-ion thermal transport and poloidal rotation to neoclassical theory in the H-mode pedestal on DIII-D

Advances in Understanding Plasma Rotation and Ion Thermal Transport Using Main-ion Measurements in DIII-D

Measurements and neoclassical modeling of deuterium and impurity toroidal rotation and temperature profiles in the H-mode pedestal and steep gradient region

Viability of Wide Pedestal QH-Mode for Burning Plasma Operation

Predicting the Toroidal Rotation Profile for ITER

DIII-D Shaping Demonstrates Correlation of Intrinsic Momentum with Energy

Wide Pedestal Quiescent H-mode Plasmas in DIII-D Tokamak

Optimizing 3D spectra for rotation control

Using rotating current ribbons to model MHD: the EHO

Advances in Understanding and Control of Plasma Rotation on DIII-D