Electron-cyclotron absorption and emission: Vexatae quaestiones''

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Physics of Plasmas; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.870549· OSTI ID:6685164

Bornatici, M ^[1]; Engelmann, F ^[2]

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1. Department of Physics, University of Ferrara, Ferrara (Italy) Department of Physics A. Volta,'' University of Pavia, Pavia (Italy)
2. The NET Team, c/o Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, Garching (Germany)

The salient features of the theory of electron-cyclotron absorption and emission for the parameter range for which the radiation spectrum has a line structure are reviewed and contrasted with erroneous results of a recent paper by Arunasalam [Phys. Fluids B [bold 4], 1643 (1992)]. In particular, (i) the relativistic and nonrelativistic forms of the dielectric tensor relevant to describing the electron-cyclotron absorption are considered, their range of validity is displayed, and on this basis an incorrect suggestion in the above paper on how to obtain the relativistic dielectric tensor from the nonrelativistic one is refuted; (ii) the crucial role of the thermal effects on the mode polarization, which in turn affects the absorption profile around the fundamental frequency, is emphasized, showing that using a Trubnikov O-mode factor'' as advocated in the above paper is not correct; (iii) the profile of the absorption around the fundamental frequency results to be single humped in all cases, in contrast to the assertion in the above paper that the absorption profile of the first harmonic O mode is double humped; (iv) the radiation from a nonuniformly magnetized plasma is evaluated for a bi-Maxwellian electron distribution showing, in particular, that the nonrelativistic treatment used in the above paper is incorrect for perpendicular propagation; (v) an expression for the local radiation temperature obtained in the above paper and upon which the analysis of the emission spectra of supershot plasmas in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) has been based by Taylor [ital et] [ital al]. [[ital Proceedings] [ital of] [ital the] [ital Eighth] [ital Workshop] [ital on] [ital Electron] [ital Cyclotron] [ital Emission] [ital and] [ital Heating], Gut Ising, Germany, 1992, (Max-Planck Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, Garching, 1993), IPP III/186, Vol. 1, p. 277] is shown not to be valid.

• OSTI ID: 6685164
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas; (United States), Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas; (United States) Vol. 1:1; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700350* -- Plasma Production
Heating
Current Drive
& Interactions-- (1992-)
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
CYCLOTRON RESONANCE
DIELECTRIC TENSOR
ELECTRON CYCLOTRON-RESONANCE
EMISSION SPECTRA
HEATING
LARMOR RADIUS
PLASMA HEATING
POLARIZATION
RESONANCE
SPECTRA
TENSORS
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TOKAMAK DEVICES