Overview of recent KSTAR experimental results

Recent KSTAR experiments have been directed toward resolving ITER critical issues and physics understanding for extrapolation to future devices. The key parameters including shape and collisionality were clarified for ELM-crash suppression with Resonant Magnetic Perturbation and the predictability of the physical model is validated through the inter-machine comparison among KSTAR/DIII-D/AUG tokamaks. The contrasting influences of non-axisymmetric field is documented on L-H transition power threshold and its ITER projection. With the new off-axis NBI (~1.5 MW) and ECH (~1 MW) systems, the steady-state operation window is extended above no-wall limit and the confinement degradation of fast ions via Alfven eigen-modes is estimated quantitatively using TRANSP. The dynamics by Edge Harmonic Oscillation is investigated for edge transport regularization. The avalanche-like electron heat transport is discovered and turbulence structure near magnetic island is simulated and compared with 2D measurements in L-mode discharges. Finally, the impact of the real-time wall condition is documented for performance sustainment in stationary long-pulse plasmas.