Recent Accomplishments and Future Plans of ASDEX Upgrade

ASDEX Upgrade has demonstrated clear progress in ITER relevant plasma operation scenarios. Successful operation with about 70% Tungsten clad first wall is shown. The operation space of the improved H-mode (advanced tokamak scenario) is enlarged in safety factor 3lesq
₉₅
les5 and density 0.4lesn
_e
/n
_GW
les0.9. The performance can clearly exceed the ITER reference value. At high densities type-II ELMs mitigate the peak power load in the divertor. A similar effect is achieved by increasing the type-I ELM frequency by shallow pellet injection or cyclic vertical plasma motion. Off-axis neutral beam current drive leads at low powers to a clear current density profile modification. Sawtooth tailoring by electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) can prevent the growth of neoclassical tearing modes (NTM). (3, 2) and (2, 1) NTMs excited at high plasma pressure can be stabilized by ECCD at moderate power levels. Narrow ECCD absorption profiles are more effective than broad ones