RESUMO
Rapid bifurcations in the plasma response to slowly varying n=2 magnetic fields are observed as the plasma transitions into and out of edge-localized mode (ELM) suppression. The rapid transition to ELM suppression is characterized by an increase in the toroidal rotation and a reduction in the electron pressure gradient at the top of the pedestal that reduces the perpendicular electron flow there to near zero. These events occur simultaneously with an increase in the inner-wall magnetic response. These observations are consistent with strong resonant field penetration of n=2 fields at the onset of ELM suppression, based on extended MHD simulations using measured plasma profiles. Spontaneous transitions into (and out of) ELM suppression with a static applied n=2 field indicate competing mechanisms of screening and penetration of resonant fields near threshold conditions. Magnetic measurements reveal evidence for the unlocking and rotation of tearinglike structures as the plasma transitions out of ELM suppression.
RESUMO
A path to a new high performance regime has been discovered in tokamaks that could improve the attractiveness of a fusion reactor. Experiments on DIII-D using a quiescent H-mode edge have navigated a valley of improved edge peeling-ballooning stability that opens up with strong plasma shaping at high density, leading to a doubling of the edge pressure over the standard H mode with edge localized modes at these parameters. The thermal energy confinement time increases as a result of both the increased pedestal height and improvements in the core transport and reduced low-k turbulence. Calculations of the pedestal height and width as a function of density using constraints imposed by peeling-ballooning and kinetic-ballooning theory are in quantitative agreement with the measurements.
RESUMO
High repetition rate injection of deuterium pellets from the low-field side (LFS) of the DIII-D tokamak is shown to trigger high-frequency edge-localized modes (ELMs) at up to 12× the low natural ELM frequency in H-mode deuterium plasmas designed to match the ITER baseline configuration in shape, normalized beta, and input power just above the H-mode threshold. The pellet size, velocity, and injection location were chosen to limit penetration to the outer 10% of the plasma. The resulting perturbations to the plasma density and energy confinement time are thus minimal (<10%). The triggered ELMs occur at much lower normalized pedestal pressure than the natural ELMs, suggesting that the pellet injection excites a localized high-n instability. Triggered ELMs produce up to 12× lower energy and particle fluxes to the divertor, and result in a strong decrease in plasma core impurity density. These results show for the first time that shallow, LFS pellet injection can dramatically accelerate the ELM cycle and reduce ELM energy fluxes on plasma facing components, and is a viable technique for real-time control of ELMs in ITER.
RESUMO
A set of high frequency coherent (HFC) modes (f=80-250 kHz) is observed with beam emission spectroscopy measurements of density fluctuations in the pedestal of a strongly shaped quiescent H-mode plasma on DIII-D, with characteristics predicted for kinetic ballooning modes (KBM): propagation in the ion-diamagnetic drift direction; a frequency near 0.2-0.3 times the ion-diamagnetic frequency; inferred toroidal mode numbers of nâ¼10-25; poloidal wave numbers of k(θ)â¼0.17-0.4 cm(-1); and high measured decorrelation rates (τ(c)(-1)â¼ω(s)â¼0.5×10(6) s(-1)). Their appearance correlates with saturation of the pedestal pressure.
RESUMO
A minimum set of equations based on the peeling-ballooning (P-B) model with nonideal physics effects (diamagnetic drift, E×B drift, resistivity, and anomalous electron viscosity) is found to simulate pedestal collapse when using the new BOUT++ simulation code, developed in part from the original fluid edge code BOUT. Nonlinear simulations of P-B modes demonstrate that the P-B modes trigger magnetic reconnection, which leads to the pedestal collapse. With the addition of a model of the anomalous electron viscosity under the assumption that the electron viscosity is comparable to the anomalous electron thermal diffusivity, it is found from simulations using a realistic high-Lundquist number that the pedestal collapse is limited to the edge region and the edge localized mode (ELM) size is about 5%-10% of the pedestal stored energy. This is consistent with many observations of large ELMs.
RESUMO
The application of nonaxisymmetric magnetic fields is shown to destabilize edge-localized modes (ELMs) during otherwise ELM-free periods of discharges in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX). Profile analysis shows the applied fields increased the temperature and pressure gradients, decreasing edge stability. This robust effect was exploited for a new form of ELM control: the triggering of ELMs at will in high performance H mode plasmas enabled by lithium conditioning, yielding high time-averaged energy confinement with reduced core impurity density and radiated power.
RESUMO
The PDE1A gene encodes a Ca2+/calmodulin-stimulated 3',5'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE). We have performed 5' and 3' RACE and identified two additional 5'-splice variants and one additional 3'-splice variant of the human PDE1A gene. The three known 5'-splice variants and the two known 3'-splice variants combine to generate six different PDE1A mRNAs. However, one of the 5'-splice variants exhibits alternate splicing in the 5' untranslated region. Thus the six mRNAs encode four different PDE1A proteins. Recombinant forms of the different human PDE1A isoforms were expressed in Sf9 cells. The kinetic properties and inhibitor sensitivities of the four PDE1A isoforms are very similar to one another.
Assuntos
3',5'-AMP Cíclico Fosfodiesterases/genética , 3',5'-GMP Cíclico Fosfodiesterases/genética , Processamento Alternativo , Diester Fosfórico Hidrolases , Regiões 3' não Traduzidas , 3',5'-AMP Cíclico Fosfodiesterases/isolamento & purificação , 3',5'-AMP Cíclico Fosfodiesterases/metabolismo , 3',5'-GMP Cíclico Fosfodiesterases/isolamento & purificação , 3',5'-GMP Cíclico Fosfodiesterases/metabolismo , Regiões 5' não Traduzidas , Animais , Sequência de Bases , Linhagem Celular , Nucleotídeo Cíclico Fosfodiesterase do Tipo 1 , DNA Complementar , Expressão Gênica , Variação Genética , Humanos , Isoenzimas/genética , Isoenzimas/isolamento & purificação , Isoenzimas/metabolismo , Cinética , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Spodoptera/citologiaRESUMO
A cDNA encoding a calmodulin-stimulated 3',5'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) was isolated from a human brain cDNA library. The cDNA, designated HSPDE1B1, encoded a protein of 536 amino acids that shared 96% sequence identity with the bovine "63 kDa" calmodulin-stimulated PDE. The recombinant protein had cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity that was stimulated approximately 2-fold by Ca2+/calmodulin and preferred cGMP as substrate. In addition, the enzymatic activity of HSPDE1B1 was inhibited by phosphodiesterase inhibitors with potencies similar to that displayed toward the bovine PDE1 enzymes: IBMX approximately equal to 8-methoxymethyl-IBMX > vinpocetine approximately equal to zaprinast > cilostamide > rolipram. HSPDE1B1 mRNA was found predominantly in the brain. Lower mRNA levels were found in heart and skeletal muscle. In situ hybridisation of brain revealed expression of HSPDE1B1 predominately in neuronal cells of the cerebellum, hippocampus and caudate. The HSPDE1B1 gene was mapped to human chromosome 12. A partial genomic sequence of HSPDE1B1 was isolated and shown to contain two splice junctions that are conserved in the rat PDE4 and the Drosophila dunce genes.
Assuntos
3',5'-AMP Cíclico Fosfodiesterases/genética , 3',5'-GMP Cíclico Fosfodiesterases/genética , Calmodulina/farmacologia , Cromossomos Humanos Par 12 , Diester Fosfórico Hidrolases , 3',5'-AMP Cíclico Fosfodiesterases/metabolismo , 3',5'-GMP Cíclico Fosfodiesterases/metabolismo , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Sequência de Bases , Northern Blotting , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Bovinos , Linhagem Celular , Mapeamento Cromossômico , Clonagem Molecular , Sequência Conservada , Nucleotídeo Cíclico Fosfodiesterase do Tipo 1 , DNA Complementar , Humanos , Isoenzimas/genética , Isoenzimas/metabolismo , Camundongos , Dados de Sequência Molecular , RNA Mensageiro , Ratos , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusão/genética , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusão/metabolismo , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolismo , Homologia de Sequência de Aminoácidos , Distribuição TecidualRESUMO
A gene encoding a novel human 3', 5'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) was identified and characterized. PDE10A1 encodes a protein that is 779 amino acids in length. An incomplete cDNA for a second 5'-splice variant, PDE10A2, was isolated. The proteins encoded by the two variants share 766 amino acids in common. This common region includes an amino-terminal domain with partial homology to the cGMP-binding domains of PDE2, PDE5 and PDE6 as well as a carboxy-terminal region with homology to the catalytic regions of mammalian PDEs. Northern analysis revealed that PDE10A is widely expressed. The PDE10A gene was mapped to three yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) that contain human DNA from chromosome 6q26-27. A recombinant protein corresponding to the 766 amino acid region common to PDE10A1 and PDE10A2 was expressed in yeast. It hydrolyzed both cAMP and cGMP. Inhibitors that are selective for other PDE families are poor inhibitors of PDE10A; however, PDE10A is inhibited by the non-specific PDE inhibitor, IBMX.
Assuntos
Diester Fosfórico Hidrolases/genética , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Sequência de Bases , Mapeamento Cromossômico , Cromossomos Humanos Par 6 , Clonagem Molecular , DNA Complementar , Humanos , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Diester Fosfórico Hidrolases/química , Splicing de RNA , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genética , Homologia de Sequência de AminoácidosRESUMO
A synthetic diagnostic has been developed that reproduces the highly structured electron cyclotron emission (ECE) spectrum radiated from the edge region of H-mode discharges. The modeled dependence on local perturbations of the equilibrium plasma pressure allows for interpretation of ECE data for diagnosis of local quantities. Forward modeling of the diagnostic response in this region allows for improved mapping of the observed fluctuations to flux surfaces within the plasma, allowing for the poloidal mode number of coherent structures to be resolved. In addition, other spectral features that are dependent on both T(e) and n(e) contain information about pedestal structure and the electron energy distribution of localized phenomena, such as edge filaments arising during edge-localized mode (ELM) activity.
RESUMO
Validation of models of pedestal structure is an important part of predicting pedestal height and performance in future tokamaks. The Thomson scattering diagnostic at DIII-D has been upgraded in support of validating these models. Spatial and temporal resolution, as well as signal to noise ratio, have all been specifically enhanced in the pedestal region. This region is now diagnosed by 20 view-chords with a spacing of 6 mm and a scattering length of just under 5 mm sampled at a nominal rate of 250 Hz. When mapped to the outboard midplane, this corresponds to ~3 mm spacing. These measurements are being used to test critical gradient models, in which pedestal gradients increase in time until a threshold is reached. This paper will describe the specifications of the upgrade and present initial results of the system.
Assuntos
Fatores Socioeconômicos , Urologia , American Medical Association , Atenção à Saúde , Educação Médica Continuada , Tabela de Remuneração de Serviços , Humanos , Imposto de Renda , Seguro Saúde , Seguro de Responsabilidade Civil , Legislação Médica , Revisão por Pares , Qualidade da Assistência à Saúde , Sociedades Médicas , Estados UnidosRESUMO
For the first time in any tokamak, quiescent H-mode (QH-mode) plasmas have been created with strong edge rotation in the direction of the plasma current. This confirms the theoretical prediction that the QH mode should exist with either sign of the edge rotation provided the magnitude of the shear in the edge rotation is sufficiently large and demonstrates that counterinjection and counteredge rotation are not essential for the QH mode. Accordingly, the present work demonstrates a substantial broadening of the QH-mode operating space and represents a significant confirmation of the theory.
RESUMO
Reduction or elimination of edge localized modes (ELMs) while maintaining high confinement is essential for future fusion devices, e.g., the ITER. An ELM-free regime was recently obtained in the National Spherical Torus Experiment, following lithium (Li) evaporation onto the plasma-facing components. Edge stability calculations indicate that the pre-Li discharges were unstable to low-n peeling or ballooning modes, while broader pressure profiles stabilized the post-Li discharges. Normalized energy confinement increased by 50% post Li, with no sign of ELMs up to the global stability limit.
RESUMO
High temporal and spatial resolution measurements of impurity dynamics associated with an edge-localized mode (ELM) indicate that the ELM perturbation consists of two distinct parts: a rapid (< 300 micros) expulsion of impurity density at the time of the instability followed by a slower time scale (< 1 ms) decrease in the ion temperature. While the density perturbation remains nearly constant over a wide range of plasma collisionality, the temperature perturbation decreases as the collisionality increases. Analysis of the radial electric field E(r) evolution indicates that the E(r) well normally present in H-mode plasmas is modified strongly by the ELM and that the size of the temperature perturbation is correlated with the associated change in the E x B shear.
RESUMO
We report on the characterization of five third chromosome mutations with strong effects on the formation of the eggshell or chorion. Three mutations, defining two loci, result in substantially reduced follicle cell-specific amplification of the major chorion structural genes and, hence, in underproduction of the corresponding mRNAs and proteins. The other two mutations, though displaying structural chorion abnormalities, appear to have no significant effect on amplification and to express normally the major chorion structural genes. The possible nature of these mutations is discussed.