Analysis of the spectral width and validation of the LHBEAM code

N. Bertelli, O. Maj, E. Poli, G. V. Pereverzev, Y. Peysson, J. Decker

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

A crucial point of the theoretical study of lower-hybrid (LH) current drive in a tokamak plasma is the spectral gap problem, i.e., the fact that the parallel (to the magnetic field) refractive index spectrum generated at the plasma edge does not appear to be wide enough for the interaction of the wave with a large number of electrons. This is in contrast with experimental observations. Diffraction is one of the mechanisms that can lead to the observed wave spectrum broadening and solve the spectral gap problem. For this reason, a new beam tracing code, LHBEAM, has been developed in order to study the diffraction effects on the propagation and the absorption of LH waves in tokamak plasma. In this work, the parallel spectral width is addressed on the basis of the beam tracing approximate solution. A preliminary implementation of the results is done in LHBEAM which has been also compared with the ray tracing code C3PO for the assessment of the trajectory of the central ray and of the evolution of the parallel refractive index on this ray.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationTheory of Fusion Plasmas - Joint Varenna-Lausanne International Workshop
EditorsOlivier Sauter, Elio Sindoni, Xavier Garbet
PublisherAmerican Institute of Physics Inc.
Pages259-264
Number of pages6
ISBN (Electronic)9780735406001
DOIs
StatePublished - 2008
Externally publishedYes
EventJoint Varenna-Lausanne International Workshop on Theory of Fusion Plasmas - Varenna, Italy
Duration: Aug 25 2008Aug 29 2008

Publication series

NameAIP Conference Proceedings
Volume1069
ISSN (Print)0094-243X
ISSN (Electronic)1551-7616

Conference

ConferenceJoint Varenna-Lausanne International Workshop on Theory of Fusion Plasmas
Country/TerritoryItaly
CityVarenna
Period8/25/088/29/08

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Physics and Astronomy

Keywords

  • current drive
  • diffraction
  • lower hybrid waves
  • spectral gap
  • spectral width

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