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Title: Long pulse EBW start-up experiments in MAST

Abstract

Start-up technique reported here relies on a double mode conversion (MC) for electron Bernstein wave (EBW) excitation. It consists of MC of the ordinary (O) mode, entering the plasma from the low field side of the tokamak, into the extraordinary (X) mode at a mirror-polarizer located at the high field side. The X mode propagates back to the plasma, passes through electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) and experiences a subsequent X to EBW MC near the upper hybrid resonance (UHR). Finally the excited EBW mode is totally absorbed at the Doppler shifted ECR. The absorption of EBW remains high even in cold rarefied plasmas. Furthermore, EBW can generate significant plasma current giving the prospect of a fully solenoid-free plasma start-up. First experiments using this scheme were carried out on MAST [1]. Plasma currents up to 33 kA have been achieved using 28 GHz 100kW 90ms RF pulses. Recently experimental results were extended to longer RF pulses showing further increase of plasma currents generated by RF power alone. A record current of 73kA has been achieved with 450ms RF pulse of similar power. The current drive enhancement was mainly achieved due to RF pulse extension and further optimisation of the start-up scenario.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6]
  1. Culham Science Centre, Abingdon (United Kingdom)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  3. Ioffe Institute, St. Petersburg (Russia)
  4. Univ. of Tokyo, Kashiwa (Japan)
  5. Kyoto Univ., Kyoto (Japan)
  6. Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1214589
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-09CH11466
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
EPJ Web of Conferences
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 87; Journal ID: ISSN 2100-014X
Publisher:
EDP Sciences
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY

Citation Formats

Shevchenko, V. F., Baranov, Y. F., Bigelow, T., Caughman, J. B., Diem, S., Dukes, C., Finburg, P., Hawes, J., Gurl, C., Griffiths, J., Mailloux, J., Peng, M., Saveliev, A. N., Takase, Y., Tanaka, H., and Taylor, G. Long pulse EBW start-up experiments in MAST. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1051/epjconf/20158702007.
Shevchenko, V. F., Baranov, Y. F., Bigelow, T., Caughman, J. B., Diem, S., Dukes, C., Finburg, P., Hawes, J., Gurl, C., Griffiths, J., Mailloux, J., Peng, M., Saveliev, A. N., Takase, Y., Tanaka, H., & Taylor, G. Long pulse EBW start-up experiments in MAST. United States. https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/20158702007
Shevchenko, V. F., Baranov, Y. F., Bigelow, T., Caughman, J. B., Diem, S., Dukes, C., Finburg, P., Hawes, J., Gurl, C., Griffiths, J., Mailloux, J., Peng, M., Saveliev, A. N., Takase, Y., Tanaka, H., and Taylor, G. 2015. "Long pulse EBW start-up experiments in MAST". United States. https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/20158702007. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1214589.
@article{osti_1214589,
title = {Long pulse EBW start-up experiments in MAST},
author = {Shevchenko, V. F. and Baranov, Y. F. and Bigelow, T. and Caughman, J. B. and Diem, S. and Dukes, C. and Finburg, P. and Hawes, J. and Gurl, C. and Griffiths, J. and Mailloux, J. and Peng, M. and Saveliev, A. N. and Takase, Y. and Tanaka, H. and Taylor, G.},
abstractNote = {Start-up technique reported here relies on a double mode conversion (MC) for electron Bernstein wave (EBW) excitation. It consists of MC of the ordinary (O) mode, entering the plasma from the low field side of the tokamak, into the extraordinary (X) mode at a mirror-polarizer located at the high field side. The X mode propagates back to the plasma, passes through electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) and experiences a subsequent X to EBW MC near the upper hybrid resonance (UHR). Finally the excited EBW mode is totally absorbed at the Doppler shifted ECR. The absorption of EBW remains high even in cold rarefied plasmas. Furthermore, EBW can generate significant plasma current giving the prospect of a fully solenoid-free plasma start-up. First experiments using this scheme were carried out on MAST [1]. Plasma currents up to 33 kA have been achieved using 28 GHz 100kW 90ms RF pulses. Recently experimental results were extended to longer RF pulses showing further increase of plasma currents generated by RF power alone. A record current of 73kA has been achieved with 450ms RF pulse of similar power. The current drive enhancement was mainly achieved due to RF pulse extension and further optimisation of the start-up scenario.},
doi = {10.1051/epjconf/20158702007},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1214589}, journal = {EPJ Web of Conferences},
issn = {2100-014X},
number = ,
volume = 87,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Mar 12 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Thu Mar 12 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

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Cited by: 11 works
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Works referenced in this record:

Electron Bernstein wave assisted plasma current start-up in MAST
journal, January 2010


Internally generated currents in a small-aspect-ratio tokamak geometry
journal, June 1992


Demonstration of Plasma Startup by Coaxial Helicity Injection
journal, February 2003


RF start-up and sustainment experiments on the TST-2@K spherical tokamak
journal, May 2006


Overview of recent experimental results on MAST
journal, December 2003


Development of Electron Bernstein Wave Research in MAST
journal, August 2007


Generation of Noninductive Current by Electron-Bernstein Waves on the COMPASS-D Tokamak
journal, December 2002


Formation of a 100-kA Tokamak Discharge in the Princeton Large Torus by Lower Hybrid Waves
journal, March 1984


Off-midplane launch of electron Bernstein waves for current drive in overdense plasmas
journal, May 2000


Works referencing / citing this record:

Power threshold and saturation of parametric decay instabilities near the upper hybrid resonance in plasmas
journal, June 2019


Regarding the optimization of O1-mode ECRH and the feasibility of EBW startup on NSTX-U
journal, April 2018