Fast wave heating in the Princeton Large Torus

Technical Report · Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5769816· OSTI ID:5769816

Hosea, J C; Arunasalam, V; Bernabei, S

Fast wave heating in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) is being studied on the Princeton Large Torus (PLT) to evaluate its potential for heating large reactor-scale toroidal plasmas. Of primary interest are the two-ion and pure second harmonic heating regimes which, with proper control of the ion energy distribution and the rf power deposition profile, permit substantial energy glow into the bulk plasma ions. Initial heating experiments have been conducted with a single 1/2 turn antenna up to wave powers of P/sub rf/ approx. = 350 kW for durations of greater than or equal to 100 ms in the two-ion regime under conditions for which direct fundamental cyclotron damping on the minority ion species dominates the wave absorption. Ion-ion coupling serves to heat the majority ions and for energetic minority ion energy distributions, energy flow to the electrons results from electron drag. Substantial ion heating is found for D-p mixtures; ..delta..T/sub d/(0) approx. = 600 eV for 350 kW with anti n/sub e/ approx. = 2 x 10/sup 13/ cm/sup -3/. The deuteron heating efficiency is improved by about a factor of approx. 2 in D/sup -3/He mixtures; ..delta..T/sub d/(0) approx. = 500 eV for 150 kW with anti n/sub e/ approx. = 2.1 x 10/sup 13/ cm/sup -3/.

• Research Organization: Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-02-3073
• OSTI ID: 5769816
• Report Number(s): PPPL-1588; TRN: 79-022937
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ICR HEATING
PLT DEVICES
CYCLOTRON FREQUENCY
HARMONICS
ION TEMPERATURE
REVIEWS
DOCUMENT TYPES
HEATING
HIGH-FREQUENCY HEATING
OSCILLATIONS
PLASMA HEATING
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TOKAMAK TYPE REACTORS
700101* - Fusion Energy- Plasma Research- Confinement
Heating
& Production