Neoclassical tearing mode control using vertical shifts on MAST

Triggered vertical shifts of the MAST spherical tokamak plasma have been found to stabilize 2/1 neoclassical tearing modes (NTMs) for a number of MAST shots, without impacting on core confinement. This stabilization is a result of favourable modifications of the density, temperature and pressure profiles at the location of an NTM by means of a brief transition from high (H) to low (L) confinement mode. Using this method, the high confinement phase can typically be recovered, and the NTM removed, within 20 ms of onset. (letter)