On the Effect of Small-Angle Scattering by Density Fluctuations on the Efficiency of Linear Transformation of Ordinary and Extraordinary Waves in a Toroidally Inhomogeneous Plasma

We have analyzed the efficiency of tunneling of quasi-optical wave beams through the evanescent region in the vicinity of plasma cutoff in a randomly inhomogeneous magnetoactive plasma. A new theoretical model proposed here makes it possible to study the effect of a random phase modulation induced by density fluctuations in the wave beam path on the efficiency of the linear transformation of waves in the 2D geometry corresponding to the experimental conditions for heating the overdense plasma in toroidal magnetic systems. We have derived a general analytic expression connecting the wave beam coefficient of transformation averaged over the ensemble of random wave field realizations with its phase correlation function. We have analyzed the dependence of the coefficient of transformation on the correlation length for the random phase distribution in the beam and on the traversed path length to the interaction region. The threshold value of the path length above which the fluctuations produce a dominating effect has been determined. The importance of taking into account the 2D effects has been demonstrated.