6
*STTR
Project: Integrative Predictive Models for ICRF-Edge Plasma Interactions
Dr.
Daniel A. D'Ippolito, Principal Investigator, dasd@lodestar.com
Ms.
Sonya Blackledge, Business Official, sonya@lodestar.com
DOE
Grant No. DE-FG02-04ER86216
Amount:
$100,000
Research Institution
Oak Ridge
National Laboratory
Oak Ridge, TN
The
coupling of intense radio frequency waves in the ion range of frequencies (ICRF)
to the edge plasma of a fusion device produces strong nonlinear interactions
with the plasma and surrounding material walls.
These effects must be controlled in order to protect the antenna and to
obtain efficient heating of the core plasma.
This project will develop a quantitative numerical simulation of this
problem for use in antenna design and experimental interpretation.
Ten years of research on the interaction of radio frequency waves with
the tokamak edge plasma and on edge plasma transport has yielded a number of
models of various nonlinear phenomena that are relevant to the present problem.
These will be incorporated into a suite of integrated computer codes to
yield a unified and quantitative picture of the antenna-plasma interaction.
Phase I will develop and test prototypes of two computer codes that
compute (1) the propagation of radio frequency waves in the ICRF near the
antenna, and (2) the low frequency plasma response to the nonlinear effects
(e.g. plasma density profile in the scrape-off-layer).
The coupling of these codes will occur in Phase II.
Commercial
Applications and Other Benefits
as described by the awardee: An
improved numerical model of the ICRF-edge plasma interactions should provide
better antenna design and experimental data analysis for ICRF-heated fusion
plasmas. Potential applications not
only include such fusion facilities as the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) and the International Tokamak Experimental Reactor
(ITER), but also
plasma processing.