Lower-hybrid heating and current drive on PLT

Technical Report · Tue Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6444216· OSTI ID:6444216

Hooke, W; Bernabei, S; Boyd, D

Steady currents up to 165 kA for 3.5 seconds and 420 kA for 0.3 seconds have been maintained by 800 MHz lower hybrid waves. For line-averaged densities up to 7 x 10/sup 12/ cm/sup -3/ the current is maintained with no input power from the ohmic heating transformer. The waves are launched with an array of six waveguides. Measurements of X rays and electron cyclotron radiation show that the rf power produces and maintains a suprathermal tail of electrons apparently independent of the number of fast electrons in the plasma prior to turning on the rf power. Measurements of current-drive efficiency and the electron tail provide direct evidence for a resonant wave-particle interaction. The radial profile of the rf-sustained current inferred from x-ray measurements is peaked in the center of the plasma and appears to obey the same q-value restraints as the inductively driven ohmic heating current. Current drive is observed to be accompanied always by radiation at frequencies greater than or equal to ..omega../sub ce/ and less than or equal to ..omega../sub pe/. The connection between this radiation and the current-drive mechanism is under study.

• Research Organization: Princeton Univ., NJ (USA). Plasma Physics Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH03073
• OSTI ID: 6444216
• Report Number(s): PPPL-1976; ON: DE83007245
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700101* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Confinement
Heating
& Production
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
CURRENT-DRIVE HEATING
CYCLOTRON RADIATION
ECR HEATING
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC HEATING
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
HEATING
HIGH-FREQUENCY HEATING
HYBRID RESONANCE
IONIZING RADIATIONS
JOULE HEATING
PLASMA HEATING
PLT DEVICES
RADIATIONS
RESISTANCE HEATING
RESONANCE
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TOKAMAK TYPE REACTORS
X RADIATION