ITER-like PAM launcher for tore supra's LHCD system

A new launcher based upon the PAM concept (Passive-Active Multijunction) already proposed for ITER has been developed and is currently under realisation at Tore Supra. It was designed for an injection power capability of 2.7 MW CW at 3.7 GHz, a power density of 25 MW/m2, to radiate a power spectrum peaked at N|| = 1.7 with a maximum power directivity near the electron cut-off density and with very good coupling properties on a wide range of electron densities. In this paper an overall description of the antenna as well as the foreseen manufacturing and assembling processes are given, followed by the results from studies and optimizations of its RF components, and by a stress analysis of its thermomechanical behaviour. (authors)