High-Efficiency Plasma Refuelling by Pellet Injection from the Magnetic High-Field Side into ASDEX Upgrade

High-efficiency refuelling of ELMy {ital H}-mode tokamak discharges with solid deuterium pellets injected from the magnetic high-field side is demonstrated. Compared to standard low-field side injection, the fuelling efficiency was enhanced by a factor of 4, the pellet penetration more than 2 times. This experimental result can be qualitatively explained by the magnetic force pushing a diamagnetic plasma cloud towards lower magnetic field, causing rapid particle loss for shallow low-field side injection, but enhancing fuelling efficiency and pellet penetration for high-field side injection. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}