Numerical studies of current generation by radio-frequency traveling waves

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6357651· OSTI ID:6357651

Karney, C F.F.; Fisch, N J

By injecting radio-frequency traveling waves into a tokamak, continuous toroidal electron currents may be generated. This process is studied by numerically solving the two-dimensional Fokker-Planck equation with an added quasilinear term. The results are compared with the one-dimensional analytic treatment of Fisch, which predicted a reduced plasma resistivity when high-phase-velocity waves are employed. It is shown here that two-dimensional velocity space effects, while retaining the predicted scaling, further reduce the ratio of power dissipated to current generated by about 40%. These effects enhance the attractiveness of steady-state tokamak reactors utilizing this method of current generation.

• Research Organization: Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-02-3073
• OSTI ID: 6357651
• Report Number(s): PPPL-1506; TRN: 79-006344
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
TOKAMAK DEVICES
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
FOKKER-PLANCK EQUATION
TRAVELLING WAVES
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
CURRENTS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EQUATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
700108* - Fusion Energy- Plasma Research- Wave Phenomena