Density limit in discharges with high internal inductance on JT-60U

High densities exceeding the Greenwald limit by a factor of 1.7 have been obtained in L-mode discharges with high internal inductances of elli as high as 2.8 in JT-60U. The internal inductance is controlled by ramping down the plasma current. In addition to the extension of the operational regime limited by disruptions, confinement performance remains as good as an H89PL factor of 1.6 even above the Greenwald limit. While an earlier high elli study has indicated core confinement improvement due to enhancement of the poloidal field, the additional improvement of the tolerance against the high density turned out to be correlated with high edge temperature. The normalized density when the detachment occurs, characterized by a decrease in the Dα signal at the divertor, is even higher in the case with no disruption than in the case with a disruption. These comparisons have indicated that the improvement in thermal and particle transport does exist in the periphery and in the edge in high elli plasmas, and the shift of the density limit towards higher densities is observed coincidently. Although the high elli discharge studied here lies outside the usual parameter space for steady-state operation of a tokamak, demonstration of a stable discharge with good confinement beyond the Greenwald limit suggests that the magnetic shear at the edge is one key parameter to uncover the physical elements of the operational density limit

Inductively coupled plasmas sustained by an internal oscillating current

A global electromagnetic model of an inductively coupled plasma sustained by an internal oscillating current sheet in a cylindrical metal vessel is developed. The electromagnetic field structure, profiles of the rf power transferred to the plasma electrons, electron/ion number density, and working points of the discharge are studied, by invoking particle and power balance. It is revealed that the internal rf current with spatially invariable phase significantly improves the radial uniformity of the electromagnetic fields and the power density in the chamber as compared with conventional plasma sources with external flat spiral inductive coils. This configuration offers the possibility of controlling the rf power deposition in the azimuthal direction

Presynaptic partner selection during retinal circuit reassembly varies with timing of neuronal regeneration in vivo

Whether neurons can restore their original connectivity patterns during circuit repair is unclear. Taking advantage of the regenerative capacity of zebrafish retina, we show here the remarkable specificity by which surviving neurons reassemble their connectivity upon regeneration of their major input. H3 horizontal cells (HCs) normally avoid red and green cones, and prefer ultraviolet over blue cones. Upon ablation of the major (ultraviolet) input, H3 HCs do not immediately increase connectivity with other cone types. Instead, H3 dendrites retract and re-extend to contact new ultraviolet cones. But, if regeneration is delayed or absent, blue-cone synaptogenesis increases and ectopic synapses are made with red and green cones. Thus, cues directing synapse specificity can be maintained following input loss, but only within a limited time period. Further, we postulate that signals from the major input that shape the H3 HC's wiring pattern during development persist to restrict miswiring after damage

Developments of a thick and large solid hydrogen target for radioisotope beams

A thick and large solid hydrogen target (SHT) for radioisotope (RI) beams was developed. A target with 100 mm thickness and 50 mm diameter equipped with thin Kapton windows (25 μm) was achieved. We developed a new method to fill solid hydrogen into a large target cell by eliminating any void or porous regions. The expansion of thin Kapton windows and the real thickness of SHT were measured by a laser distance meter and an energy-loss of RI beams, respectively. They gave the same thickness confirming the complete solidification of hydrogen in the cell. We obtained a window expansion of about 2.5 mm (about 1.25 mm for each side)

Spectroscopy of 32Ne and the Island of Inversion

We report on the first spectroscopic study of the N=22 nucleus 32Ne at the newly completed RIKEN Radioactive Ion Beam Factory. A single gamma-ray line with an energy of 722(9) keV was observed in both inelastic scattering of a 226 MeV/u 32Ne beam on a Carbon target and proton removal from 33Na at 245 MeV/u. This transition is assigned to the de-excitation of the first J^pi = 2+ state in 32Ne to the 0+ ground state. Interpreted through comparison with state-of-the-art shell model calculations, the low excitation energy demonstrates that the Island of Inversion extends to at least N=22 for the Ne isotopes.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett. 11 pages, 3 figure

Mapping the deformation in the "island of inversion": Inelastic scattering of Ne 30 and Mg 36 at intermediate energies

The transition strengths of the first-excited 2+ states and deformation lengths of the nuclei Ne30 and Mg36 were determined via Coulomb- and nuclear-force-dominated inelastic scattering at intermediate energies. Beams of these exotic nuclei were produced at the RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory and were incident on lead and carbon targets at energies above 200 MeV/u. Absolute excitation cross sections on the lead target yielded reduced transition probabilities of 0.0277(79) and 0.0528(121) e2b2, while the measurements with the carbon target revealed nuclear deformation lengths of δN=1.98(11) and 1.93(11) fm for Ne30 and Mg36, respectively. Corresponding quadrupole deformation parameters of β2∼0.5 from the two probes were found comparable in magnitude, showing no indication for a reduction in deformation along isotopic and isotonic chains from Mg32 towards the neutron drip-line. Comparisons to shell-model calculations illustrate the importance of neutron excitations across the N=20 shell for Ne30 and suggest that shallow maximums of collectivity may occur around N=22 and 24 along the neon and magnesium isotopic chains, respectivelyA.P. is partly supported by MINECO (Spain) Grant No. FPA2014-57196 and Programme “Centros de Excelencia Severo Ochoa” SEV-2012-024

Formula for proton-nucleus reaction cross section at intermediate energies and its application

We construct a formula for proton-nucleus total reaction cross section as a function of the mass and neutron excess of the target nucleus and the proton incident energy. We deduce the dependence of the cross section on the mass number and the proton incident energy from a simple argument involving the proton optical depth within the framework of a black sphere approximation of nuclei, while we describe the neutron excess dependence by introducing the density derivative of the symmetry energy, L, on the basis of a radius formula constructed from macroscopic nuclear models. We find that the cross section formula can reproduce the energy dependence of the cross section measured for stable nuclei without introducing any adjustable energy dependent parameter. We finally discuss whether or not the reaction cross section is affected by an extremely low density tail of the neutron distribution for halo nuclei.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, added reference