Initial ICRF heating experiments in the TMX-U central cell

Conference · Fri Feb 18 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:6415568

Molvik, A W; Falabella, S; Moore, T

An ion-cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) heating system has been installed in the Tandem Mirror Experiment-Upgrade (TMX-U) central cell. Our initial objective is to heat low density ions in the near field of the antenna. This heating reduces the collisionality of central cell ions, which decreases the filling rate of the thermal barrier by passing ions from the central cell. From power- and particle-balance calculations, we determined that 60 kW of absorbed power is sufficient to heat plasma densities of up to 2 x 10/sup 12/ cm/sup -3/. These power requirements are consistent with ion heating results from the Phaedrus tandem mirror. Based on this, we have installed a 200-kW oscillator/power amplifier, tunable to as low as 1.5 MHz. It drives a 110/sup 0/, 9 1/2-turn loop antenna that has a commercially built Faraday shield and matching network. The system has been tuned with plasma and is being used for the initial heating studies at the ion-cyclotron frequency ..omega../sub ci/.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6415568
• Report Number(s): UCRL-88552; CONF-820210-3; ON: DE83007362
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700205* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Fuel
Heating
& Injection Systems
ANTENNAS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
HEATING
HIGH-FREQUENCY HEATING
ICR HEATING
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA HEATING
PLASMA SHEATH
RF SYSTEMS
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TMX DEVICES