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Updated: May 30, 2026

Applying X-ray Imaging Crystal Spectroscopy for Use as a High Temperature Plasma Diagnostic
Published on: August 25, 2016
Sawtooth pacing by real-time auxiliary power control in a tokamak plasma
T P Goodman1, F Felici, O Sauter
1Centre de Recherches en Physiques des Plasmas, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (CRPP-EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland. timothy.goodman@epfl.ch
Abstract:
In the standard scenario of tokamak plasma operation, sawtooth crashes are the main perturbations that can trigger performance-degrading, and potentially disruption-generating, neoclassical tearing modes. This Letter demonstrates sawtooth pacing by real-time control of the auxiliary power. It is shown that the sawtooth crash takes place in a reproducible manner shortly after the removal of that power, and this can be used to precisely prescribe, i.e., pace, the individual sawteeth. In combination with preemptive stabilization of the neoclassical tearing modes, sawtooth pacing provides a new sawtooth control paradigm for improved performance in burning plasmas.
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