Fast ions in mode conversion heating (He-3)-H plasmas in JET

• Fast ions were analysed in experiments focusing on fundamental He-3 minority and mode conversion (MC) in the ion cyclotron resonance range of frequencies (ICRF) in H plasmas and on second harmonic heating of He-3 ions at 2.65 T mimicking D-T plasma heating in ITER at half its nominal toroidal magnetic field. Gamma-ray spectrometry, neutral particle analysers and fast-ion loss diagnostics provided information on the generation of fast-ion populations and on the distribution of ICRH power among the species in various heating scenarios and for a large range of He-3 concentrations. In the scenario with the fundamental He-3 minority and MC wave heating at B-T(0) = 3.41 T and f approximate to 32 MHz, fast He-3 ions accelerated by ICRH in the MeV energy range were detected in discharges with low He-3 concentration. In the experiments with a He-3 concentration scan it was found that at a He-3 concentration of approximate to 2.2% the He-3 ion losses disappeared while a population of energetic D ions gradually built up due to a redistribution of the ICRH power between species on reaching the first MC regime. Under those conditions the ICRF-heated D beam ions effectively absorbed the wave power at their Doppler shifted resonance, which was close to the plasma centre. In discharges with second harmonic heating of He-3 ions at B-T(0) = 2.65 T and f approximate to 52 MHz, the confined energetic He-3 ions were found in the MeV energy range. There is some evidence that the D ions were also accelerated by ICRF. This paper also demonstrates that the synergy of the various fast ion diagnostics allows making a broad picture of the physics of the redistribution of the absorbed ICRH power in complicated heating scenarios of JET.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Electric discharges

Experiments

Magnetic fields

Plasma heating

Plasmas

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