"Snowflake" H mode in a tokamak plasma.

An edge-localized mode (ELM) H-mode regime, supported by electron cyclotron heating, has been successfully established in a "snowflake" (second-order null) divertor configuration for the first time in the TCV tokamak. This regime exhibits 2 to 3 times lower ELM frequency and 20%-30% increased normalized ELM energy (ΔWELM/Wp) compared to an identically shaped, conventional single-null diverted H mode. Enhanced stability of mid- to high-toroidal-mode-number ideal modes is consistent with the different snowflake ELM phenomenology. The capability of the snowflake to redistribute the edge power on the additional strike points has been confirmed experimentally.

Optimal design of an internal monitoring program for personnel in the Chornobyl exclusion zone radwaste management industrial complex.

Modern state and approach regarding organisation of individual internal dose monitoring of the personnel of industrial complex for radioactive waste management at the Chornobyl exclusion zone (CEZ) is presented. Sensitivity and adequacy of the acknowledged instrumental methods is considered taking into account the features of interpretation using indirect methods in the specific working conditions of industrial complex for radioactive waste management at the CEZ. The performed analysis enables clear recommendations to be made with regard to optimum design of an internal monitoring program for personnel, including application of specific techniques.

Limitation of individual internal exposure by consideration of the confidence interval in routine personal dosimetry at the Chernobyl Sarcophagus.

In view of the probabilistic nature and very wide uncertainty of internal exposure assessment, its deterministic ('precise') assessment does not protect against not exceeding established reference levels or even the dose limits for a particular individual. Minimising such potential risks can be achieved by setting up a sufficiently wide confidence interval for an expected dose distribution instead of its average ('best' estimate) value, and by setting the limit at the 99% fractile level. The ratio of the 99% level and the mean ('best' estimate) is referred to as the safety coefficient. It is shown for the typical radiological conditions inside the Chernobyl Sarcophagus that the safety coefficient corresponding to the 99% fractile of the expected internal dose distribution varies within the range from 5 to 10. The maintenance of minimum uncertainty and sufficient sensitivity of the indirect dosimetry method requires measurement of individual daily urinary excretion of 239Pu at a level of at least 4 x 10(-5) Bq. For the purpose of reducing the uncertainty of individual internal dose assessment and making dosimetric methods workable. it is suggested that the results of workplace monitoring are combined with the results of periodic urinary and faecal bioassay measurements.

Tokamak equilibria with reversed current density.

Observations of nearly zero toroidal current in the central region of tokamaks (the "current hole") raises the question of the existence of toroidal equilibria with very low or reversed current in the core. The solutions of the Grad-Shafranov equilibrium equation with hollow toroidal current density profile including negative current density in the plasma center are investigated. Solutions of the corresponding eigenvalue problem provide simple examples of such equilibrium configurations. More realistic equilibria with toroidal current density reversal are computed using a new equilibrium problem formulation and computational algorithm which do not assume nested magnetic surfaces.