Pulsed methane injection experiment on DIVA

A pulse of methane gas is injected into the DIVA tokamak. The major portion of the injected impurity is shielded by the outer edge plasma, i.e. only 20% of the injected carbon are introduced into the discharge. After radial penetration of the injected carbon has been accomplished, accumulation doubles and a new steady state is sustained over the period of proton confinement. The transient radial diffusion process of the carbon is compared with calculations using an impurity transport code. The behaviour of the carbon impurity in the whole minor radius is well described by assuming perfect re-cycling at the gold-plated shell surface and using neoclassical diffusion superposed by anomalous diffusion of protons. It is shown that spreading caused by anomalous diffusion is important. The calculated result indicates that the carbon ions are lost dominantly in a He-like state. (author)