EFDA-JET-CP(05)01/06
Studies of ICRF Discharge Conditioning (ICRF-DC) on ASDEX Upgrade, JET and TEXTOR
The present paper reviews the recent results achieved in the ICRF-DC experiments performed in helium/hydrogen mixtures in the non-circular tokamaks ASDEX Upgrade and JET and first tests of the ICRF discharges in helium/oxygen mixtures in the circular tokamak TEXTOR. Special emphasis was given to study the physics of ICRF discharges. A new recipe for safe and reliable RF plasma production [<ne> ~(3-5)x1017 m-3, Te~(3-5) eV] with improved antenna coupling efficiency (by 1.5-3 times) and improved radial/poloidal homogeneity was proposed and successfully tested: coupling the RF power in the FW-IBW mode conversion scenario in plasmas with two ion species. The first results on ICRF wall conditioning in helium/hydrogen and in helium/oxygen mixtures are analyzed.