Power balance analysis of ion Bernstein wave heating experiments in the Alcator C tokamak

Journal Article · Tue Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989 · Phys Fluids B; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.858947· OSTI ID:5872831

Moody, J D; Porkolab, M

Energy and particle transport processes in Alcator C (Phys. Rev. Lett. /bold 60/, 298, (1988)) discharges heated by directly launched ion Bernstein waves (IBW) are investigated using the onetwo transport code (Nucl. Fusion /bold 26/, 329 (1986)). The dependence of the observed ion heating rate (/Delta//ital T//sub H///ital P//sub rf/) on plasma density is shown to result mainly from the inherent ion energy confinement that is characteristic of these discharges in the Ohmic phase and not on IBW propagation and absorption characteristics. The inferred value of the Ohmic ion thermal conduction exhibits an increasing anomaly with increasing plasma density. At a plasma density of /ital n/bar ///sub /ital e// /approx lt/1/times/10/sup 20/ m/sup /minus/3/, the inferred ion thermal conduction is nearly equal to the Chang--Hinton neoclassical prediction. However, at a plasma density of /ital n/bar ///sub /ital e// /approx gt/2/times/10/sup 20/ m/sup /minus/3/, the inferred ion thermal conduction increases to about 5--8 times the Chang--Hinton neoclassical value. This increasing anomaly, which may result from the ion temperature gradient driven instability, can essentially account for the observed ion heating rate behavior during IBW heating. The effect of edge turbulence on IBW propagation is modeled using a Monte Carlo direct sampling simulation. The result is mainly a radial broadening of the calculated power deposition profile with increasing plasma density.

• Research Organization: Plasma Fusion Center and Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139(US)
• OSTI ID: 5872831
• Journal Information: Phys Fluids B; (United States), Journal Name: Phys Fluids B; (United States) Vol. 1:8; ISSN PFBPE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700101* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Confinement
Heating
& Production
ABSORPTION
ALCATOR DEVICE
ANTENNAS
BERNSTEIN MODE
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
END EFFECTS
ENERGY ABSORPTION
ENERGY BALANCE
EQUIPMENT
HEATING
ION WAVES
OSCILLATION MODES
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA HEATING
PLASMA WAVES
SIMULATION
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TOKAMAK DEVICES
TURBULENCE