Latest physics results of TJ-II flexible heliac

This paper is devoted to the presentation of the most relevant recent Physics results obtained in the TJ-II flexible heliac. Firstly ECRH modulation and plasma breakdown studies are summarised; then the particle control techniques used to obtain reproducible discharges with density under control are presented. Transport studies show internal heat transport barriers that reduce heat conductivity to neoclassical values, and ELM-like transport events, similar to those observed in tokamaks and in other stellarators before and during H mode transition. Evidence of ExB sheared has been observed both in the proximity of rational surfaces. Finally, a high resolution Thomsom Scattering system has shown Te and ne profile structures

Electron cyclotron heating at down-shifted frequencies in existing tokamak devices

Plasma heating in existing tokamak devices by electron cyclotron waves with frequency (f) significantly smaller than the electron gyrofrequency (f/sub c/) is investigated for the case of Maxwellian plasmas. It is shown that for central electron temperatures larger than 3 keV, strong absorption of extraordinary waves can occur at values of toroidal field for which the condition f = f/sub c/ is not satisfied in the plasma region. The cases of f = 60 GHz and f = 100 GHz are discussed for the PLT and TFTR devices as representative of medium (approx. =30 kG) and high (approx. =50 kG) magnetic field tokamaks, respectively. Numerical calculations with a ray tracing code indicate that most of the rf energy is absorbed in a central plasma region. These results are of practical interest because they significantly simplify the main technical problem of ECH in a tokamak reactor, i.e., the development of high frequency and high power microwave sources

Radial profile of the electron distribution from electron cyclotron emission measurements

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