Lower hybrid launcher on JET

Lower Hybrid current drive (LHCD) experiments were performed in JET in a first stage with one third of the final LHCD system. Good coupling with reflection coefficients as low as 1% and a power density of ∼4 kW/cm2 on the plasma interface were obtained with the prototype launcher. The complete LHCD system with a total power of 12 MW (20 s) in the generator will start operation with the begin of JET divertor experiments in early 1994. The full launcher contains an array of 384 waveguides, built up from 48 multijunctions with internal power splitting. Three different LH wave spectra can be radiated simultaneously into the plasma, applying different phase settings to the three independent sections of the grill type antenna. test bed experiments have started on a new concept for a compact LH launcher, using a hyperguide as connection between an array of standard size waveguides and the plasma facing antenna structure which forms the slow wave LH spectrum. (author)