ICRF heating of deuterium-tritium plasmas in TFTR

Technical Report · Tue Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10192207· OSTI ID:10192207

Taylor, G; Adler, H ^[1]; Murakami, M ^[2]

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1. Princeton Univ., NJ (United States). Plasma Physics Lab.
2. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); and others

The first experiments to heat D-T plasmas in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) have been performed on the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR). These experiments have two major objectives: to study the RF physics of ICRF-heated D-T plasmas and to enhance the performance of D-T discharges. Experiments have been conducted at 43 MHz with out-of-phase current strap excitation to explore n{sub T}/n{sub e} concentrations up to approximately 40%. In these experiments n{sub T}/n{sub e} was limited by D recycling from the carbon walls. The location of the T resonance was varied by changing the toroidal magnetic field, and the RF power was modulated (f{sub mod} = 5--10 Hz) to elucidate competing heating mechanisms. Up to 5.8 MW of ICRF heating has been coupled into D-T plasmas. The addition of 5.5 MW of ICRF heating on a D-T supershot resulted in an increase in central ion temperature from 26 to 36 keV and an increase in central electron temperature from 8 to 10.5 keV. Up to 80% of the absorbed ICRF power was coupled directly to ions, in good agreement with computer code predictions. These results extrapolate to efficient T heating in future devices such as ITER.

• Research Organization: Princeton Univ., NJ (United States). Plasma Physics Lab.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH03073
• OSTI ID: 10192207
• Report Number(s): PPPL-CFP--3163; IAEA-CN--60/A-3-I-3; CONF-940933--11; ON: DE95002219
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700350
BENCHMARKS
DEUTERIUM
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
ENERGY DEPOSITION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
ICR HEATING
ION TEMPERATURE
PARTICLE LOSSES
PLASMA PRODUCTION, HEATING, CURRENT DRIVE, AND INTERACTIONS
TFTR TOKAMAK
TRITIUM