#187
Suprathermal electron radial transport studies on TCV
Oral
Ewout Devlaminck (EPFL)
J. Decker, S. Coda, S. Guinchard, L. Votta, L. Porte
Abstract
High-power microwave beams in the electron cyclotron frequency range are well-established tools in nuclear fusion research, used for electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH), current drive (ECCD), tailored profile control, and instability mitigation. Among their many advantages, the high degree of spatial localisation is often critical for achieving the intended goals[^1]. However, experimental observations have repeatedly shown a degradation of this localisation[^2], attributed to a combination of microwave beam broadening[^3] and radial transport of suprathermal electrons[^4].
This work presents the recent integration of the linearised guiding-centre Fokker-Planck solver LUKE[^5] with the wave-kinetic code WKBeam[^6], enabling the simultaneous study of both effects. Preliminary results are shown for dedicated experiments on the Tokamak à Configuration Variable (TCV). Guided by experimental measurements, systematic scans of the ad-hoc suprathermal electron radial transport provide insight into the underlying transport dynamics. A similar approach may help interpret recent observations of runaway electron expulsion triggered by ECRH[^7].
[^1]: Prater, R. Physics of plasmas, 2004
[^2]: Coda, S., et al. Nuclear fusion, 2003
[^3]: Snicker, A., et al. Nuclear Fusion, 2017
[^4]: Cazabonne, J., et al. Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, 2023
[^5]: Peysson, Y.; Decker, J. Fusion Science and Technology, 2014
[^6]: Weber, Hannes 2013
[^7]: Decker, J., et al. Nuclear Fusion, 2024