M. Porkolab

Theory of fast wave current drive for tokamak plasmas

The paper presents calculations of the efficiency of fast wave current drive at reactor-like densities and temperatures, including toroidal effects. Accessibility and competitive absorption mechanisms are estimated. Two bands of frequencies are found to be of interest for reactor applications – one in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies and the other at higher harmonics but below the lower hybrid frequency.

Fast wave and electron cyclotron current drive in the DIII-D tokamak

The non-inductive current drive from directional fast Alfven and electron cyclotron waves was measured in the DIII-D tokamak in order to demonstrate these forms of radiofrequency (RF) current drive and to compare the measured efficiencies with theoretical expectations. The fast wave frequency was 8 times the deuterium cyclotron frequency at the plasma centre, while the electron cyclotron wave was at twice the electron cyclotron frequency. Complete non-inductive current drive was achieved using a combination of fast wave current drive (FWCD) and electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) in discharges for which the total plasma current was inductively ramped down from 400 to 170 kA. For steady current discharges, an analysis of the loop voltage revealed up to 195 kA of non-inductive current (out of 310 kA) during combined electron cyclotron and fast wave injection, with a maximum of 110 kA of FWCD and 80 kA of ECCD achieved (not simultaneously). The peakedness of the current profile increased with RF current drive, indicating that the driven current was centrally localized. The FWCD efficiency increased linearly with the central electron temperature as expected; however, the FWCD was severely degraded in low current discharges owing to incomplete fast wave absorption. The measured FWCD agreed with the predictions of a ray tracing code only when a parasitic loss of 4% per pass was included in the modelling along with multiple pass absorption. Enhancement of the second harmonic ECCD efficiency by the toroidal electric field was observed experimentally. The measured ECCD was in good agreement with Fokker-Planck code predictions

Observation of parametric decay correlated with edge heating using an ion Bernstein wave antenna on DIII-D

Significant levels of parametric decay activity and correlated edge ion heating were observed during injection of high power ion Bernstein waves (IBWs) in DIII-D. Both minority hydrogen ions and majority deuterium ions showed the formation of a high energy perpendicular tail; no parallel heating was observed. The edge ion heating and the parametric decay activity were both strongest when an ion cyclotron harmonic was present at the plasma edge. Ion tail formation had a power threshold of several hundred kilowatts, above which the tail size increased with antenna power; a comparable power threshold for parametric decay instability (PDI) was observed. Both the PDI and the associated edge deuterium heating were found to be sensitive to the hydrogen-to-deuterium ratio

Ion Bernstein wave antenna loading measurements on the DIII-D tokamak

Antenna loading measurements carried out during high power ion Bernstein wave (IBW) heating experiments on the DIII-D tokamak indicate that efficient, direct coupling to the IBW at ω 2ωci as predicted by linear coupling theory did not occur. Whereas strong peaking in the loading resistance near cyclotron harmonics is predicted for high edge densities (ω < ωLH|edge), the observed loading resistance is nearly independent of the toroidal magnetic field. The loading anomaly can be explained by invoking the ponderomotive force which decreases the edge density immediately in front of the antenna, thus allowing coupling to the cold plasma lower hybrid wave (LHW). A linear LHW coupling code including the modified density profile due to the ponderomotive force reproduces the measured dependence of antenna loading on toroidal magnetic field, edge density, antenna frequency and antenna phasing. Further evidence for the ponderomotive force is obtained from reactive loading measurements which indicate that the plasma is pushed away from the antenna as the radiofrequency power level is increased. The results indicate that the lack of central ion heating observed during DIII-D IBW experiments may be due to a lack of efficient mode transformation from the coupled LHW to a centrally propagating IBW, possibly as a result of nonlinear mechanism(s)

High power ion Berstein wave experiments on DIII‐D

Previous tokamak experiments with Ion Bernstein wave heating have exhibited efficient central ion heating and associated improvement in particle confinements. In experiments reported here central ion heating at 3/2ΩH with a small He4 minority was observed. the transmitter frequency was 38 MHz and the nominal central toroidal field was BT=1.8 T, which places the 3/2 ΩH layer a few centimeters outboard of the magnetic axis, and the 2ΩH layer just behind the radiating element in the antenna. (AIP)

60 MHz fast wave current drive experiment for DIII-D

The DIII‐D facility provides an opportunity to test fast wave current drive appoach. Efficient FWCD is achieved by direct electron absorption due to Landa damping and transit time magnetic pumping. To avoid competing damping mechamisms we seek to maximize the single‐pass asorption of the fast waves by electrons. (AIP)

Modeling of EAST ICRF antenna performance using the full-wave code TORIC

Access to advanced operating regimes in the EAST tokamak will require a combination of electron-cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH), neutral beam injection (NBI) and ion cyclotron range frequency heating (ICRF), with the addition of lower-hybrid current drive (LHCD) for current profile control. Prior experiments at the EAST tokamak facility have shown relatively weak response of the plasma temperature to application of ICRF heating, with typical coupled power about 2 MW out of 12 MW source. The launched spectrum, at nφ = 34 for 0-π -0-π phasing and 27 MHz, is largely inaccessible at line-averaged densities of approximately 2 × 1019 m−3. However, with variable antenna phasing and frequency, this system has considerable latitude to explore different heating schemes. To develop an ICRF actuator control model, we have used the full-wave code TORIC to explore the physics of ICRF wave propagation in EAST. The results presented from this study use a spectrum analysis using a superposition of nφ spanning −50 to +5...

Fundamental and Second Harmonic Hydrogen Fast‐Wave Heating on DIII‐D

Ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH) with fast waves has been investigated on D3-D in both the fundamental hydrogen minority (32 MHz, 2.14 T) and second harmonic hydrogen majority (60 MHz, 1.97 T) regimes. The main purpose of these experiments was to characterize the fast wave coupling and propagation in preparation for upcoming fast wave current drive (FWCD) experiments. For the fundamental minority regime, the electron and ion heating, global confinement, and radiated power fraction are compared for ICRH and NBI discharges with P{sub aux} {approx} 1 MW. The ICRH experiments were conducted using a four strap antenna which was designed for current drive experiments. The antenna is fed by a single 2 MW 30--60 MHz transmitter. For ICRH experiments, either (0,0,0,0) or (0,{pi},0,{pi}) phasing was used. The launched parallel index of refraction for (0,{pi},0,{pi}) phasing is {vert bar}n{parallel}{vert bar} {approx} 21 at 32 MHz, and {vert bar}n{parallel}{vert bar} {approx} 11 at 60 MHz. 7 refs., 8 figs.

Theory of Ion Bernstein Wave Coupling at Low Edge Densities

DIII‐D Ion Bernstein Wave coupling results are characterized by: (1) insensitivity of loading to the magnitude of the static magnetic field, and (2) large values of resistive loading (about 3 to 10Ω). These are in sharp contrast to previous predictions. The experimental observations strongly suggest that the plasma in front of the Faraday shield is coupling to cold plasma waves. A lower‐hybrid resonance layer may exist at the edge, so a cold plasma coupling code has been developed which takes into account the lower‐hybrid resonance rigorously. Using this code, and postulating that the density in front of the Faraday shield is always lower than the lower‐hybrid resonance density, reasonable agreement between theory and experimental results is obtained. An estimate of the ponderomotive force produced by the wave field suggests that a low density region in front of the Faraday shield can be reasonably expected from the effect of this nonlinear force.

Current profile evolution during fast wave current drive on the DIII‐D tokamak

The effect of co and counter fast wave current drive (FWCD) on the plasma current profile has been measured for neutral beam heated plasmas with reversed magnetic shear on the DIII-D tokamak. Although the response of the loop voltage profile was consistent with the application of co and counter FWCD, little difference was observed between the current profiles for the opposite directions of FWCD. The evolution of the current profile was successfully modeled using the ONETWO transport code. The simulation showed that the small difference between the current profiles for co and counter FWCD was mainly due to an offsetting change in the o@c current proffie. In addition, the time scale for the loop voltage to reach equilibrium (i.e., flatten) was found to be much longer than the FWCD pulse, which limited the ability of the current profile to fully respond to co or counter FWCD.