High Density Plasma Heating by EC-Waves Injected from the High-Field Side for Mode Conversion to Electron Bernstein Waves in LHD

To realize an excitation of electron Bernstein waves （EBW） via mode conversion from X-mode waves injected from the high magnetic field side （HFS）, new inner-vessel mirrors were installed close to a helicM coil in the large helicM device （LHD）. 77 GHz electron cyclotron （EC） wave beams injected from an existing EC-wave injection system toward the new mirror are reflected on the mirror so that the beams are injected to plasmas from HFS. Evident increases in the electron temperature at the plasma core region and the plasma stored energy were observed by the HFS beam injection to the plasmas with the line-average electron density of 7.5~ 1019 m-3, which is slightly higher than the plasma cut-off density of 77 GHz EC-waves, 7.35~ 1019 m-3. The heating efficiency evaluated from the changes in the time derivative of the plasma stored energy reached ,,~70%. Although so far it is not clear which is the main cause of the heating effect, the mode-converted EBW or the X-mode wave itself injected from the HFS, an effective heating of high-density plasma over the plasma cut-off of EC-wave was successfully demonstrated.

Investigation of Experimental Con6guration for Electron Bernstein Wave Heating on LHD

Investigation of experimental configuration for the electron Bernstein wave （EBW） heating by using the existing electron cyclotron heating （ECH） antennas on LHD was performed. By using an antenna installed in the lower port, direct oblique launching of the extraordinary （X-） mode from the high magnetic field side （HFS） is available. Since the parallel component of the refractive index （NIF） varies during propagation because of the inhomogeneity of the magnetic field, NH can be zero when the launched X-mode crosses the fundamental electron cyclotron resonance （ECR） layer even NⅡ is noonzero initially. In such a condition, if the electron density is above a certain level the obliquely launched X-mode can pass the fundamental ECR layer without being damped out and can be mode-converted to EBW that is absorbed at the Doppler shifted ECR layer. By using an antenna installed in the horizontal port, oblique launching from the lower magnetic field side （LFS） toward the over-dense plasma is available. Excitation of EBW via the mode conversion process of ordinary mode（O）-extraordinary mode（X）-electron Bernstein wave （B） is expected with the O-mode launching toward an appropriate direction. The O-X-B mode conversion rate and the region of power deposition were surveyed by varying the magnetic field strength and the launching direction. The results of the survey suggest that efficient heating in the core region is difficult by using the existing antenna. Rearrangement of the final mirror of the launching antenna may be needed.

Measurement of the Electron Bernstein Wave Emission with One of the Power Transmission Lines for ECH in LHD

Possibility of the measurement of radiated waves derived from the thermally emitted electron Bernstein wave （EBW） is numerically investigated based on the assumption of the super dense core （SDC） plasma generated in LHD. EBW that is thermally emitted in the electron cyclotron resonance （ECR） layer may couple with the electromagnetic wave and be emitted to the vacuum via the EBW-extraordinary-ordinary （B-X-O） mode conversion process. We consider the use of one of the transmission lines for electron cyclotron heating （ECH） in LHD as a receiving system of the emission. It is derived that the waves in the fundamental cyclotron frequency range are emitted as the EBW near their upper hybrid resonance （UHR） layer outside the last close flux surface （LCFS）. On the other hand, waves in the second harmonics cyclotron frequency range are emitted in the core region. It means that successful measurement of waves of the second harmonic frequency range emitted from extremely high dense core plasma with setting an aim angle for receiving indicates a possibility of the second harmonic ECH by EBW in the core region with setting the same aim angle and the same polarization for launching.