Simulation of High-Harmonic Fast-Wave Heating on the National Spherical Tokamak Experiment

Author

Green, David L. ; Jaeger, Erwin F. ; Chen, Guangye ; Berry, Lee A. ; Pugmire, David ; Canik, John M. ; Ryan, Philip M.

Author_Institution

Fusion Energy Div., Oak Ridge Nat. Lab., Oak Ridge, TN, USA

Volume

39

Issue

11

fYear

2011

Firstpage

3020

Lastpage

3021

Abstract

Images associated with radio-frequency heating of low-confinement mode plasmas in the National Spherical Tokamak Experiment, as calculated by computer simulation, are presented. The AORSA code has been extended to simulate the whole antenna-to-plasma heating system by including both the kinetic physics of the well-confined core plasma and a poorly confined scrape-off plasma and vacuum vessel structure. The images presented show the 3-D electric wave field amplitude for various antenna phasings. Visualization of the simulation results in 3-D makes clear that -30^° phasing excites kilo-volt per meter coaxial standing modes in the scrape-off plasma and shows magnetic-field-aligned whispering-gallery type modes localized to the plasma edge.

Keywords

Tokamak devices; antennas in plasma; plasma diagnostics; plasma instability; plasma radiofrequency heating; plasma simulation; plasma toroidal confinement; 3-D electric wave field amplitude; AORSA code; antenna phasings; coaxial standing modes; computer simulation; core plasma; high-harmonic fast-wave heating; low-confinement mode plasmas; magnetic-field-aligned whispering-gallery type modes; national spherical tokamak experiment; radiofrequency heating; scrape-off plasma; vacuum vessel structure; whole antenna-to-plasma heating system; Antennas; Heating; Magnetic cores; Magnetic resonance imaging; Plasmas; Radio frequency; Electromagnetic propagation in plasma media; plasma heating; plasma waves; simulation;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Plasma Science, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0093-3813

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TPS.2011.2160370

Filename

5960794