High-harmonic Fast-wave Heating in NSTX.

High-harmonic Fast-wave Heating in NSTX.
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Release: 2001
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High-Harmonic Fast-Wave (HHFW), a radio-frequency technique scenario applicable to high-beta plasmas, has been selected as one of the main auxiliary heating systems on the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX). The HHFW antenna assembly comprises 12 toroidally adjacent current elements, extending poloidally and centered on the equatorial plane. This paper reviews experimental results obtained with a symmetrical (vacuum) launching spectrum with k= 14 m(superscript ''-1'') at a frequency of 30 MHz. We describe results obtained when HHFW power is applied to helium and deuterium plasmas, during the plasma-current flattop period of the discharge. Application of 1.8-MW HHFW pulse to MHD quiescent plasmas resulted in strong electron heating, during which the central electron temperature T(subscript ''eo'') more than doubled from approximately 0.5 keV to 1.15 keV. In deuterium plasmas, HHFW heating was found less efficient, with a central electron temperature increase of the order of 40% during a 1.8-MW HHFW pulse, from approximately 400 eV to approximately 550 eV. (At HHFW power of 2.4 MW, central electron temperature increased by 60%, reaching 0.625 keV.) HHFW heating in presence of MHD activity is also discussed. A short neutral-beam pulse was applied to permit charge-exchange recombination spectroscopy (CHERS) measurement of the impurity ion temperature T(subscript ''i''). Preliminary CHERS analysis show that ion temperature approximately equals electron temperature during HHFW heating. Of special interest are deuterium discharges, where the application of HHFW power was done during the current ramp-up. We observe the creation of large density gradients in the edge region. In the latter case, the density rose spontaneously to n (subscript ''eo'') less than or equal to 8 x 10 (superscript ''13'') cm (superscript ''-3'').

Profile Modifications Resulting from Early High-harmonic Fast Wave Heating in NSTX.

Profile Modifications Resulting from Early High-harmonic Fast Wave Heating in NSTX.
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Release: 2001
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Experiments have been performed in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) to inject high harmonic fast wave (HHFW) power early during the plasma current ramp-up in an attempt to reduce the current penetration rate to raise the central safety factor during the flattop phase of the discharge. To date, up to 2 MW of HHFW power has been coupled to deuterium plasmas as early as t = 50 ms using the slowest interstrap phasing of k.

High-Harmonic Fast Wave Driven H-mode Plasmas on NSTX.

High-Harmonic Fast Wave Driven H-mode Plasmas on NSTX.
Author: R. E. Bell
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Release: 2003
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The launch of High-Harmonic Fast Waves (HHFW) routinely provides auxiliary power to NSTX plasmas, where it is used to heat electrons and pursue drive current. H-mode transitions have been observed in deuterium discharges, where only HHFW and ohmic heating, and no neutral beam injection (NBI), were applied to the plasma. The usual H-mode signatures are observed. A drop of the Da light marks the start of a stored energy increase, which can double the energy content. These H-mode plasmas also have the expected kinetic profile signatures with steep edge density and electron temperature pedestal. Similar to its NBI driven counterpart--also observed on NSTX-- the HHFW H mode have density profiles that features ''ears'' in the peripheral region. These plasmas are likely candidates for long pulse operation because of the combination of bootstrap current, associated with H-mode kinetic profiles, and active current drive, which can be generated with HHFW power.

Recent Improvements in Fast Wave Heating in NSTX.

Recent Improvements in Fast Wave Heating in NSTX.
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Release: 2009
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Recent improvements in high-harmonic fast wave (HHFW) core heating in NSTX are attributed to using lithium conditioning, and other wall conditioning techniques, to move the onset density for perpendicular fast wave propagation further from the antenna. This has resulted in the first observation of HHFW core electron heating in deuterium plasma at a launched toroidal wavenumber, k[phi] = -3 m-1, NSTX record core electron temperatures of 5 keV in helium and deuterium discharges and, for the first time, significant HHFW core electron heating of deuterium neutral-beam-fuelled H-mode plasmas. Also, k[phi] = -8 m-1 heating of the plasma startup and plasma current ramp-up has resulted in significant core electron heating, even at central electron densities as low as ~ 4x1018 m-3.