DIII-D research operations. Annual report to the Department of Energy, October 1, 1991--September 30, 1992

The DIII-D tokamak research program is carried out by General Atomics for the U.S. Department of Energy. The DIII-D is the most flexible and best diagnosed tokamak in the world and the second largest tokamak in the U.S. The primary goal of the DIII-D tokamak research program is to provide data needed by ITER and to develop a conceptual physics blueprint for a commercially attractive electrical demonstration plant (DEMO) that would open a path to fusion power commercialization. Specific DIII-D objectives include the steady-state sustainment of plasma current as well as demonstrating techniques for microwave heating, divertor heat removal, fuel exhaust and tokamak plasma control. The DIII-D program is addressing these objectives in an integrated fashion with high beta and with good confinement. The DIII-D long-range plan is organized into two major thrusts; the development of advanced divertor and the development of advanced tokamak concepts. These two thrusts have a common goal: an improved DEMO reactor with lower cost and smaller size than the present DEMO which can be extrapolated from the conventional ITER operational scenario. In order to prepare for the long-range program, in FY92 the DIII-D research program concentrated in three major areas: Tokamak Physics, Divertor and Boundary Physics, and Advanced Tokamak Studies