Observation of Ion-Cyclotron-Frequency Mode-Conversion Flow Drive in Tokamak Plasmas
Creators
- 1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)
Description
Strong toroidal flow (Vφ) and poloidal flow (Vθ) have been observed in D-3He plasmas with ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) mode-conversion (MC) heating on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak. The toroidal flow scales with the rf power Prf (up to 30 km/s per MW), and is significantly larger than that in ICRF minority heated plasmas at the same rf power or stored energy. The central Vφ responds to Prf faster than the outer regions, and the Vφ(r) profile is broadly peaked for r/a≤0.5. Localized (0.3≤r/a≤0.5) Vθ appears when Prf≥1.5 MW and increases with power (up to 0.7 km/s per MW). The experimental evidence together with numerical wave modeling suggests a local flow drive source due to the interaction between the MC ion cyclotron wave and 3He ions
Additional details
Identifiers
Publishing Information
- Journal Title
- Physical Review Letters
- Journal Volume
- 101
- Journal Issue
- 23
- Journal Page Range
- p. 235002-235002.4
- ISSN
- 0031-9007
- CODEN
- PRLTAO
INIS
- Country of Publication
- United States
- Country of Input or Organization
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- INIS RN
- 40054169
- Subject category
- S70: PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY;
- Descriptors DEI
- ALCATOR DEVICE; CYCLOTRON FREQUENCY; HELIUM 3; HELIUM IONS; ICR HEATING; ION CYCLOTRON-RESONANCE; ION PLASMA WAVES; MODE CONVERSION; PLASMA; PLASMA SIMULATION; STORED ENERGY
- Descriptors DEC
- CHARGED PARTICLES; CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES; CYCLOTRON RESONANCE; ENERGY; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; HEATING; HELIUM ISOTOPES; HIGH-FREQUENCY HEATING; ION WAVES; IONS; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; NUCLEI; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; PLASMA HEATING; PLASMA WAVES; RESONANCE; SIMULATION; STABLE ISOTOPES; THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES; THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES; TOKAMAK DEVICES
Optional Information
- Notes
- (c) 2008 The American Physical Society