Improved plasma breakdown by resonant-cavity modes in an ignition tokamak

Summary form only given. The use of RF cavity resonance to break down the neutral gas and initiate the plasma discharge in a controllable and reproducible way in the IGNITEX experiment was considered. There are many potential advantages of this breakdown method, such as the reduction of magnetic flux expenditure and overall poloidal field requirements. More importantly, breakdown at high (possibly full) density may be possible, and it has such advantages as faster access to ignition conditions, improved confinement during ramping, avoidance of low-density runaways, and faster penetration of the radiation barrier. Another important advantage is the reduction of electron loss due to potential stray fields