Perspectives gained from ICRF physics studies on TFTR

Conference · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998

OSTI ID:656836

Phillips, C K; Bell, M ^[1]; Batha, S ^[2]

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1. Princeton Plasma Physics Lab., NJ (United States)
2. Fusion Physics and Technology, Torrance, CA (United States); and others

The physics of ICRF heating and current drive has been studied on TFTR for over a decade. Following the early low power coupling studies, high power experiments resulted in sawtooth stabilization, the first observation of RF-driven excitation of toroidal Alfven eigenmodes, and the discovery of a mode conversion scenario for localized off-axis electron heating. The program culminated with the first studies of high power ICRF heating and profile control in tritium-rich high performance plasmas. A significant part of the concluding experiments centered on the potential of ICRF to drive sheared flows in order to suppress turbulence in the plasma core. Initial measurements taken with a novel poloidal velocity diagnostic suggest that localized sheared poloidal flows can be driven with ion Bernstein waves excited directly or else via mode conversion from a propagating fast magnetosonic wave. In this paper, recent results from TFTR on wave-based profile control techniques will be summarized along with suggestions for future studies elsewhere.

• Research Organization: Princeton Plasma Physics Lab., NJ (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH03073
• OSTI ID: 656836
• Report Number(s): PPPL-CFP--3870; CONF-980130--; ON: DE98057589
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ALFVEN WAVES
BERNSTEIN MODE
ICR HEATING
ION WAVES
MODE CONVERSION
NON-INDUCTIVE CURRENT DRIVE
SAWTOOTH OSCILLATIONS
SHEAR
STABILIZATION
TFTR TOKAMAK