Main Challenges of Heating Plasma with Waves at the Ion Cyclotron Resonance Frequency (ICRF)

Abstract

Of all the techniques used for heating plasmas in fusion devices, waves in the Ion Cyclotron Resonance Frequency (ICRF ∼ MHz) continue to be exceptionally advantageous and unique insofar as it enables to deposit of power directly on ions in the core, significantly enhancing fast ion population together with fusion reaction products. However, because of the multiple inherent challenges—such as matching robustness, antenna design, wave coupling efficiency, wave propagation, wave absorption, and plasma surface interactions due to radiofrequency (RF) sheath excitation—ICRF is often one of the most complex heating systems to implement successfully. This chapter provides a brief introduction of these challenges and their respective underlying physics, together with examples of both simulations and experimental results from various tokamaks around the world. Finally, ICRF advantages and applications on present and future devices and perspectives of technological solutions are discussed and summarized.