Electron Bernstein heating at an extremely overdense torus plasma

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24360381
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Nuclear fusion studies
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: UCHIDA Masaki 京都大学, エネルギー科学研究科, 助教 (90322164)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): MAEKAWA Takashi 京都大学, 大学院エネルギー科学研究科, 教授 (20127137) ; TANAKA Hitoshi 京都大学, 大学院エネルギー科学研究科, 准教授 (90183863)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): TOI Kazuo 核融合科学研究所, 教授 (20093057) ; ISOBE Mitsutaka 核融合科学研究所, 准教授 (00300731)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 電子バーンスタイン波 / 加熱・電流駆動 / トカマクの無誘導立ち上げ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

There has been considerable interest in electron Bernstein (EB) wave heating and current drive since EB waves can propagate into and be cyclotron-absorbed in overdense fusion plasmas. However, EB Heating may lead a significant development of energetic electrons since the group velocity of EB wave is extremely slow and therefore the absorption is quite high. On the other hand, linear theory predicts the absorption by such energetic electrons could be much reduced if the bulk electron density increases well beyond the plasma cutoff density. In this study, we have been achieved the startup and formation of an extremely overdense spherical torus by EB heating and current drive, where the electron density reaches about 10 times the plasma cutoff density. In addition, we investigated the change in heating property of bulk and energetic electrons by EB waves as the density increases far beyond the cutoff density.

Free Research Field

プラズマ理工学