Compressional Alfven and ion-ion hybrid modes in the deuterium-tritium plasma of a spherical tokamak power plant
- Department of Plasma Physics, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)
A discrete spectrum of compressional Alfven eigenmodes and ion-ion hybrid eigenmodes is found to exist above the tritium ion cyclotron frequency in the deuterium-tritium (D-T) plasma of a spherical tokamak power plant (STPP) [H. R. Wilson et al., 19th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference (IAEA, Lyon, France, 2002), No. FT/1-4]. An equilibrium magnetic well formed in a STPP, as a result of plasma diamagnetism, causes all externally launched electromagnetic waves to propagate from the side of high total magnetic field, and it is this well that forms discrete spectra in the ion cyclotron resonance heating frequency range near the plasma core. The eigenmodes, as well as the position of the mode conversion layers, are obtained in a one-dimensional magnetic field geometry [S. C. Cowley et al., Phys. Fluids B 3, 2066 (1991)], relevant for the STPP, which will necessarily operate at high {beta}. The possibility of using the discrete spectrum probed with an external antenna, or driven by energetic ions, for measuring the D-T mixture ratio is discussed.
- OSTI ID:
- 21072638
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 14, Issue 8; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2752824; (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ALFVEN WAVES
ANTENNAS
CYCLOTRON FREQUENCY
DEUTERIUM
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ICR HEATING
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MINIMUM-B CONFIGURATIONS
PLASMA
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
PLASMA DIAMAGNETISM
PLASMA INSTABILITY
RF SYSTEMS
SPHERICAL CONFIGURATION
TAIL IONS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TOKAMAK DEVICES
TRITIUM
TRITIUM IONS