Whistlers, helicons, and lower hybrid waves: The physics of radio frequency wave propagation and absorption for current drive via Landau damping

Pinsker, Robert I.

doi:10.1063/1.4930135

Title: Whistlers, helicons, and lower hybrid waves: The physics of radio frequency wave propagation and absorption for current drive via Landau damping

Journal Article · Thu Sep 24 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4930135· OSTI ID:1356318

Pinsker, Robert I. ^[1]

General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)

This introductory-level tutorial article describes the application of plasma waves in the lower hybrid range of frequencies for current drive in tokamaks. Wave damping mechanisms in a nearly collisionless hot magnetized plasma are briefly described, and the connections between the properties of the damping mechanisms and the optimal choices of wave properties (mode, frequency, wavelength) are explored. The two wave modes available for current drive in the lower hybrid range of frequencies (LHRF) are described and compared. The terms applied to these waves in different applications of plasma physics are elucidated. Here, the character of the ray paths of these waves in the LHRF is illustrated in slab and toroidal geometries. An upcoming experiment on one of these two wave modes, the “helicon” or “whistler”, to be carried out on the DIII-D tokamak, is described.

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Research Organization:: General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)

Grant/Contract Number:: FC02-04ER54698

OSTI ID:: 1356318

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1229679

Journal Information:: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 22, Issue 9; ISSN 1070-664X

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 26 works

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Cited By (3)

Low-frequency whistler waves in quiescent runaway electron plasmas Heidbrink, W. W.; Paz-Soldan, C.; Spong, D. A. Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, Vol. 61, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6587/aae2da	journal	November 2018
Survey of heating and current drive for K-DEMO Mikkelsen, D. R.; Kessel, C. E.; Poli, F. M. Nuclear Fusion, Vol. 58, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/aaa4d2	journal	January 2018
Experiments on helicons in DIII-D—investigation of the physics of a reactor-relevant non-inductive current drive technology Pinsker, R. I.; Prater, R.; Moeller, C. P. Nuclear Fusion, Vol. 58, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/aad1f8	journal	July 2018

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