A detailed study of lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) in ITER is provided, focusing on the wave propagation and current drive mechanisms. A combination of ray-tracing and Fokker–Planck calculations are presented for various plasma scenarios, wave frequency and polarization. The dependence of the driven current and the location of power deposition upon the coupled wave spectrum is systematically determined, in order to set objectives for the antenna design. The respective effects of finite-power levels, magnetic trapping, and detailed antenna spectra are accounted for and quantitatively estimated. The sensitivity of LHCD to density and temperature profiles is calculated. From the simulation results, an optimum value for the parallel index of refraction is proposed as a compromise between efficiency and robustness with respect to those profile variations. The corresponding current drive efficiency is found to be similar for the two frequencies generally considered for ITER, f = 3.7 GHz and f = 5.0 GHz.
ICRF current drive by using antenna phase control