The Physics Performance Of The Front Steering Launcher For The ITER ECRH Upper Port

Journal Article · Mon Sep 26 00:00:00 EDT 2005 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2098427· OSTI ID:20726354

Henderson, M; Chavan, R; Nikkola, P; Sanchez, F; Sauter, O; Shidara, H ^[1]; Ramponi, G ^[2]; Saibene, G ^[3]; Zohm, H ^[4]

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1. CRPP, Association EURATOM- Confederation Suisse, EPFL, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland)
2. Istituto di Fisica del Plasma, EURATOM- ENEA-CNR Association, 20125 Milan (Italy)
3. EFDA Close Support Unit, Boltzmannstrasse 2, D-85748 Garching (Germany)
4. IPP-Garching, Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, D-85748 Garching (Germany)

The capability of any given e.m.-wave plasma heating system to be utilized for physics applications depends strongly on the technical properties of the launching antenna (or launcher). An effective ECH launcher must project a small mm-wave beam spot size far into the plasma and 'steer' the beam across a large fraction of the plasma cross section (along the resonance surface). Thus the choice in the launcher concept and design may either severely limit or enhance the capability of a heating system to be effectively applied for physics applications, such as sawtooth stabilization, control of the Neoclassical Tearing Mode (NTM), Edge Localized Mode (ELM) control, etc. Presently, two antenna concepts are under consideration for the ITER upper port ECH launcher: front steering (FS) and remote steering (RS) launchers. The RS launcher has the technical advantage of easier maintenance access to the steering mirror, which is isolated from the torus vacuum. The FS launcher places the steering mirror near the plasma increasing the technical challenges, but significantly enhancing the focusing and steering capabilities of the launcher, offering a threefold increase in NTM stabilization efficiency over the RS launcher as well as the potential for application to other critical physics issues such as ELM or sawtooth control.

• OSTI ID: 20726354
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 787, Issue 1; Conference: 16. topical conference on radio frequency power in plasmas, Park City, UT (United States), 11-13 Apr 2005; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2098427; (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ANTENNAS
CONTROL
DESIGN
ECR HEATING
EDGE LOCALIZED MODES
EFFICIENCY
HEATING SYSTEMS
ITER TOKAMAK
NEOCLASSICAL TRANSPORT THEORY
PERFORMANCE
PLASMA
RESONANCE
RF SYSTEMS
SAWTOOTH OSCILLATIONS
TEARING INSTABILITY