Electron Bernstein wave (EBW) assisted plasma current start-up has been demonstrated for the first time in a tokamak. It was shown that plasma currents up to 17 kA can be generated non-inductively by 100 kW of RF power injected. With optimized vertical field ramps, plasma currents up to 33 kA have been achieved without the use of solenoid flux. It is shown that the plasma formation and current generation are governed predominantly by EBW current drive. Experimental results are consistent with ray-tracing and quasilinear Fokker–Planck modelling.
Lower hybrid assisted plasma current ramp-up in ITER