Radial Broadening of DC potential structures in front of ICRF antennas by transverse exchange of RF currents
- IJL, Nancy Universite, 54500 Vandoeuvre les Nancy (France)
- CEA, IRFM, F-13108 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France)
Measurements show that the vicinity of powered Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequency (ICRF) antennae is biased positively with respect to its environment. This is attributed to RF-sheaths. The radial penetration of DC potentials into Tokamak SOL determines the power deposition on the walls and especially on the antenna structure, which is a key point for long time clean discharges. Within independent flux tube models of RF-sheath rectification the radial penetration of DC potentials is determined by the skin depth x{sub 0} = c/{omega}{sub pe} for the slow wave. When self-consistent exchanges of transverse RF currents are allowed between neighboring flux tubes, such a structure can be broadened radially up to a characteristic transverse length L. Broadening arises as soon as L>r{sub 0}. A linear modeling gives a first evaluation of the theoretical length L{approx_equal}(L{sub parallel} {rho}{sub ci}/){sup 1/2}. Within the 'flute assumption' it scales with the length L{sub parallel} of open flux tubes and the ion Larmor radius {rho}{sub ci}. This has been confirmed by the SEM code which takes into account non-linear rectifications. Applying our model to several potential maps generated by an ITER antenna, it comes out that L ranges between 1 and 10 cm depending on local L{sub parallel} and on typical ITER plasma parameters. Langmuir probe measurements on Tore Supra suggest that the broadening is lower than predicted by the code, which supposes that currents do not occur all over the parallel magnetic lines but on a fraction of it.
- OSTI ID:
- 21335696
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1187, Issue 1; Conference: 18. topical conference on radio frequency power in plasmas, Gent (Belgium), 24-26 Jun 2009; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3273718; (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ANTENNAS
BESSEL FUNCTIONS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
ICR HEATING
IONS
ITER TOKAMAK
LANGMUIR PROBE
LARMOR RADIUS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PLASMA
PLASMA POTENTIAL
PLASMA SCRAPE-OFF LAYER
PLASMA SHEATH
PLASMA SIMULATION
PLASMA WAVES
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
TORE SUPRA TOKAMAK
TUBES