Electron Bernstein Wave Research on NSTX and CDX-U

Technical Report · Tue Jun 10 00:00:00 EDT 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/814023· OSTI ID:814023

Taylor, G; Efthimion, P C; Jones, B; Bell, G L; Bers, A; Bigelow, T S; Carter, M D; Harvey, R W; Ram, A K; Rasmussen, D A; Smirnov, A P; Wilgen, J B; Wilson, J R

Studies of thermally emitted electron Bernstein waves (EBWs) on CDX-U and NSTX, via mode conversion (MC) to electromagnetic radiation, support the use of EBWs to measure the Te profile and provide local electron heating and current drive (CD) in overdense spherical torus plasmas. An X-mode antenna with radially adjustable limiters successfully controlled EBW MC on CDX-U and enhanced MC efficiency to {approx} 100%. So far the X-mode MC efficiency on NSTX has been increased by a similar technique to 40-50% and future experiments are focused on achieving * 80% MC. MC efficiencies on both machines agree well with theoretical predictions. Ray tracing and Fokker-Planck modeling for NSTX equilibria are being conducted to support the design of a 3 MW, 15 GHz EBW heating and CD system for NSTX to assist non-inductive plasma startup, current ramp up, and to provide local electron heating and CD in high beta NSTX plasmas.

• Research Organization: Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC) (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH03073
• OSTI ID: 814023
• Report Number(s): PPPL-3820; TRN: US0303978
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: 10 Jun 2003
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ANTENNAS
DESIGN
EFFICIENCY
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONS
HEATING
MODE CONVERSION
PLASMA
SIMULATION
CYCLOTRON RESONANCE
HEATING
ECRH
SPHERICAL TORUS