All superconducting tokamak: EAST

Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) was built to demonstrate high-power, long-pulse operations under fusion-relevant conditions, with major radius R = 1.9 m, minor radius a = 0.5 m, and design pulse length up to 1000s. It has an ITER-like D-shaped cross-section with two symmetric divertors at the top and bottom, accommodating both single null and double null divertor configurations. EAST construction was started in 2000, and its first plasma was successfully obtained in 2006. In the past 15 years, plasma-facing components, plasma heating, diagnostics, and other systems have been upgraded step by step to meet its mission on exploring of the scientific and technological bases for fusion reactors and studying the physics and engineering technology issues with long pulse steady-state operation. An advanced steady-state plasma operation scenario has been developed, and plasma parameters were greatly improved. Meanwhile, front physics on the magnetic confinement plasmas have been systemically investigated and lots of fruitful results were realized, covering transport and confinement, MHD stabilities, pedestal physics, divertor and scrap-off layer (SOL) physics, and energetic particle physics. This brief review of EAST on engineering upgrading, stand-steady operation scenario development, and plasma physics investigation would be useful for the reference on construction and operation of a superconducting tokamak, such as ITER and future fusion reactor.