Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ECRH) of a Spheromak Plasma

ECRH calculations are carried out for the MS Spheromak (Bto = 20-25 kG, ne ? 1014 cm-3) under the assumption of a straight-line ray path. These preliminary calculations indicate that for "end-on" illumination of the Spheromak plasma by an extraordinary wave at the second harmonic of the cyclotron frequency, almost complete single-pass absorption is achieved even when electron temperature is low (? 100 eV). The use of gyrotrons currently under development would make an early experimental demonstration possible.