A survey of electron Bernstein wave heating and current drive potential for spherical tokamaks

0362721 - ÚFP 2012 RIV AT eng J - Journal Article
Urban, Jakub - Decker, J. - Peysson, Y. - Preinhaelter, Josef - Shevchenko, V. - Taylor, G. - Vahala, L. - Vahala, G.
A survey of electron Bernstein wave heating and current drive potential for spherical tokamaks.
Nuclear Fusion. Roč. 51, č. 8 (2011), 083050-083050. ISSN 0029-5515. E-ISSN 1741-4326
R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/08/0419; GA MŠMT 7G10072
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20430508
Keywords : spherical tokamak * electron Bernstein wave (EBW) * heating * current drive * electron cyclotron wave
Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics
Impact factor: 4.090, year: 2011
http://iopscience.iop.org/0029-5515/51/8/083050/pdf/0029-5515_51_8_083050.pdf

The electron Bernstein wave (EBW) is typically the only wave in the electron cyclotron (EC) range that can be applied in spherical tokamaks for heating and current drive (H&CD). Spherical tokamaks (STs) operate generally in high-β regimes, in which the usual EC O- and X-modes are cut off. In this case, EBWs seem to be the only option that can provide features similar to the EC waves—controllable localized H&CD that can be used for core plasma heating as well as for accurate plasma stabilization. The EBW is a quasi-electrostatic wave that can be excited by mode conversion from a suitably launched O- or X-mode; its propagation further inside the plasma is strongly influenced by the plasma parameters. These rather awkward properties make its application somewhat more difficult. In this paper we perform an extensive numerical study of EBW H&CD performance in four typical ST plasmas (NSTX L- and H-mode, MAST Upgrade, NHTX).
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0198964