Study of fast magnetosonic-wave and neutral-beam heating of large tokamaks. Topical report

Technical Report · Wed Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976

OSTI ID:6279849

Conn, R W; Kulcinski, G L

Studies are presented of wave and neutral beam heating of tokamak plasma. The leading wave heating candidates include low frequency Alfven waves, fast magnetosonic waves, lower hybrid waves, and electron cyclotron waves and these are briefly surveyed. A more detailed consideration is given to the fast magnetosonic wave and its use in heating a tokamak reactor to ignition. A conceptual magnetosonic wave launching system compatible with reactor plasmas is also described. The status of neutral beam heating, the requirements on injection energies, and the resulting heating profiles for reactor plasmas are described. Finally a comparison of RF (radiofrequency) and neutral beam heating is presented. Neutral beams enjoy a very good agreement between present theory and experiment. However, potential penetration and heating of the plasma core and the required source development for reactors favor RF heating. The advantages and problems associated with extrapolating both techniques to reactor plasmas are described. It is concluded that a high priority should be given to definitive high power RF tokamak heating experiments to clarify the physics base. A large effort on high energy neutral beam source development as is currently underway is also required.

• Research Organization: Wisconsin Univ., Madison (USA). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering
• OSTI ID: 6279849
• Report Number(s): EPRI-ER-268; ON: DE82900006
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700101* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Confinement
Heating
& Production
ALFVEN WAVES
BEAM INJECTION
ECR HEATING
FAST MAGNETOACOUSTIC WAVES
HEATING
HIGH-FREQUENCY HEATING
HYBRID RESONANCE
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
MAGNETOACOUSTIC WAVES
NEUTRAL ATOM BEAM INJECTION
PLASMA HEATING
RESONANCE
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TOKAMAK TYPE REACTORS