Absorption of Microwaves in Different Regimes of Electron Cyclotron Plasma Heating at the L-2M Stellarator

Abstract: The results are presented from studies of the extraordinary wave (X-wave) absorption in plasma of the L-2M stellarator, as well as the power loss of microwave beam introduced into the plasma. The X-wave occurs as a result of splitting the linearly polarized gyrotron radiation, as it intersects the plasma boundary. Different electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) regimes were studied: heating by a sequence of microwave pulses and heating that involves an auxiliary ECRH pulse. It was ascertained that for the X-wave, the single-pass absorption coefficient along the central chord of the plasma cross section is higher than 95%, and in the axial ECRH regime, the power losses correspond to the O-wave power. It was ascertained that the power loss of the beam inputted into the plasma increases up to 20–23% when the gyroresonance region was displaced towards the inner wall of the vacuum chamber and the ECRH pulse duration was increased. At the same time, the radiation loss drastically increased. It was hypothesized that an increase in the power loss is caused by a decrease in the X-wave absorption coefficient integrated over the beam cross section, which occurs due to a decrease in the electron temperature across the microwave beam cross section. In the regime with the auxiliary ECRH pulse, the pulsed sputtering of the vacuum chamber coating occurs, and the electron density and temperature change; nevertheless, the absorption coefficient along the central chord exceeds 90%. © 2021, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.