A steady state plasma with high performance and high current drive efficiency is
reported. In 2.45 GHz LHCD plasmas Ti is studied as a function of ne at the
edge of the high ion
temperature (HIT) window. Different characteristic timescales are found for
Ti and ne to enter the
HIT regime and the observed hysteresis behaviour of Ti with respect to ne is
attributed to this
difference. The electromagnetic emission (<3.5 GHz)
is studied in order to understand ion heating mechanisms in the HIT regime. The spectrum shows
several sidebands whose peak frequencies correspond to the ion plasma frequency. The
spectral narrowing of the width of the sideband shows a clear correlation with ion heating.
In 8.2 GHz LHCD plasmas an enhanced current drive (ECD) regime where both current
drive efficiency
ηCD( = n̄eICDR0/PLH ∼1 × 1019 A m-2/W)
and energy confinement time τE (∼8-10 ms) are simultaneously improved is obtained
at an n̄e of 4.3 × 1013 cm-3 and B = 7 T
under full current drive conditions.
There exists a certain threshold power above which the
ECD transition occurs. A hysteresis of ηCD is found around the threshold
power, which
is explained by the different characteristic time for the ECD transition in power rampup and
rampdown schemes. Current profile control experiments are performed by using two opposite
travelling
LHWs. Current compensation (ΔICD/ICD < -10%) is clearly
seen when the backward
(BW) travelling LHW (8.2 GHz) is added to a target plasma whose current is driven by a forward
travelling LHW (8.2 GHz). As the BW wave power is increased, however, the current
tends to flow in the forward direction. The mechanisms of this non-linear behaviour of the
driven current with respect to the BW wave power are discussed.