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High-Field-Side RF Injection for Excitation of Electron Bernstein Waves

Ryota YONEDA, Kazuaki HANADA¹⁾, Hatem ElSERAFY, Nicola BERTELLI²⁾ and Masayuki ONO²⁾

Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, Kasuga 816-8580, Japan

1)

Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University, Kasuga 816-8580, Japan

2)

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08543, USA

(Received 27 December 2017 / Accepted 2 July 2018 / Published 5 October 2018)

Abstract

An evaluation of high-field-side (HFS) X-mode injection for the electron-Bernstein-wave (EBW) scenario is performed using the GENRAY ray-tracing code. In the early stage of low-density plasma start-up, when the electron cyclotron resonance and upper hybrid resonance layers are close to each other, efficient and localized heating by the EBW is attainable. We show that, when the electron density rises, the HFS scenario spontaneously shifts to current drive with successful electron heating. This shift can be explained as a change in heating mechanism from collisional to electron cyclotron damping. Also, we discuss a possible O-X-B scenario to continue the plasma current drive beyond the formation of an over-dense plasma.

Copyright (c) 2018 The Japan Society of Plasma Science and Nuclear Fusion Research

Keywords

electron Bernstein wave, electron cyclotron, high field side, plasma heating and current drive, mode conversion

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.13.3402115

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