Control of the Radial Energy Deposition Profile in an Open Magnetic Trap During Electron Cyclotron Plasma Heating

Abstract

We propose a method for controlling the radial profile of electron cyclotron plasma heating in an axisymmetric magnetic mirror by using minor perturbations of the magnetic field of the mirror. The method is based on the analysis of the ray trajectories behavior near the surface of the electron cyclotron resonance. A way to produce such perturbations by supplementing the system with an additional “quadrupole” pair of magnetic coils is also proposed. The possibility to improve the coupling of radiation with the plasma in an open trap is demonstrated, as well as the possibility to control the energy deposition profile by means of small variations of the current in the additional coils for two basic scenarios of electron cyclotron plasma heating, specifically, longitudinal launching of microwave radiation to the magnetic mirror region and trapping of obliquely launched radiation by the inhomogeneous magnetized-plasma column.