Paul T. Bonoli

Pulsed lower‐hybrid wave penetration in reactor plasmas

Providing lower‐hybrid power in short, intense (GW) pulses allows enhanced wave penetration in reactor‐grade plasmas. We examine nonlinear absorption, ray propagation, and parametric instability of the intense pulses. We find that simultaneously achieving good penetration while avoiding parametric instabilities is possible, but imposes restrictions on the peak power density, pulse duration, and/or r.f. spot shape. In particular, power launched in narrow strips, elongated along the field direction, is desired.

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...