Electron cyclotron heating studies of the Compact Ignition Tokamak (CIT)

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6309147

Porkolab, M.; Bonoli, P. T.; Englade, R.; Myer, R.; Smith, G. R.; Kritz, A. H.

The Compact Ignition Tokamak (CIT) operating scenario calls for ramping the toroidal magnetic field from B/sub T/ = 7.0 (8.0) to 10.0 Tesla in a few seconds, followed by a burn cycle and a ramp-down cycle. Simultaneously, the plasma must be heated from an initial low beta equilibrium (/bar /beta// approx. = 0.44% at 7.0 to 8.0 Tesla) to a final burn equilibrium (/bar /beta// = 2.8%) having 10.0 Tesla on the magnetic axis. Since the toroidal plasma current will be ramped at the same time and since the available time for flat-top magnetic field must be reserved for the burn cycle, it is imperative that densification and heating be carried out as the magnetic field is ramped. Here we examine an approach which is applicable to ECR heating. The frequency remains constant, while the angle of injection is varied by simply rotating a reflecting mirror placed in the path of the incident microwave beam. The rotating mirror permits one to launch waves with sufficiently high N/sub /parallel// so that the Doppler broadened resonance of particles on the magnetic axis with f = 280 GHz and B/sub T/ = 7.0--8.0 Tesla can provide adequate absorption. As the resonance layer moves toward the magnetic axis the beam is swept toward perpendicular to reduce the Doppler width and avoid heating the plasma edge. At B/sub T/ = 10.0 Tesla the beam will be at normal incidence with strong absorption immediately on the high field side of the resonance (relativistic regime). We envisage using the ordinary mode (O-mode, /rvec E//sub RF/ /parallel/ /rvec B/) of polarization which is accessible from the outside (low-field side) of the torus provided the density is such that ..omega../sub pe/ less than or equal to ..omega.. approx. ..omega../sub ce/ (max). 8 refs., 3 figs.

• Research Organization: Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge (USA). Plasma Fusion Center
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-78ET51013
• OSTI ID: 6309147
• Report Number(s): PFC/JA-89-3; CONF-890302-18; ON: DE89008759
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700101* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Confinement
Heating
& Production
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
COMPACT IGNITION TOKAMAK
ECR HEATING
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
HEATING
HIGH-FREQUENCY HEATING
PLASMA HEATING
PLASMA SIMULATION
SIMULATION
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TOKAMAK DEVICES
TOKAMAK TYPE REACTORS
TRANSPORT THEORY