Effect of ECRH regime on characteristics of short-wave turbulence in plasma of the L-2M stellarator

Abstract

This paper reports on studies of short-wave turbulence in the plasma of the L-2M stellarator under markedly different conditions: with doubling the ECR heating power (100 and 200 kW) and with restricting the plasma radius by a sector limiter. The role of such short-wave turbulence in anomalous transport can appear important for conditions of a thermonuclear reactor. Experiments were carried out in a basic magnetic configuration of the L-2M stellarator during ECRH at the second harmonic of the electron gyrofrequency (75.3 GHz) at average electron densities of (1.5–1.7) × 1013 cm−3. The energy confinement time was ∼3.5 ms at P0 = 100 kW and was reduced to ∼2 ms at P0 = 200 kW. When the limiter was introduced inside the plasma to a depth of 2 cm from the last closed flux surface, τE decreased by a factor of 1.3–1.4. Plasma density fluctuations were measured from the scattering of gyrotron radiation at the second harmonic of operating frequency (∼150 GHz). A quasioptical receiving system allowed measurements of scattered radiation from plasma regions r/a ⩽ 0.6 at scattering angles π/4 ⩽ Θ ⩽ π/2 (24 cm−1 ⩽ k⊥ ⩽ 44 cm−1). The short-wave turbulence was studied for two radial positions of the scattering region: r/a = 0.3–0.4 and r/a = 0.5–0.6. Short-wave turbulence exhibits features of strong plasma turbulence. It is experimentally established that a change in the energy confinement time in the L-2M stellarator correlates with the level of short-wave turbulence.