Thermal and non-thermal particle interaction with the LHCD launchers in Tore Supra

Abstract The interaction between the lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) launchers and the plasma has been studied during long pulse, high power operation in the Tore Supra tokamak. The main diagnostics used for characterising the plasma–launcher interaction are calorimetry of the energy extracted by the launchers and infrared (IR) imaging of the launchers and their side limiters. The calorimetry has allowed to identify three different heat sources on the LHCD launchers, namely the RF losses in the waveguides, a fraction (∼0.8%) of the total injected energy and, finally, fast ion losses during ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH), accounting for ∼1% of the injected ICRH energy. The interaction by fast ions is identified by infrared imaging of the LHCD launchers as a localised hotspot on the ion drift side, below or at the mid-plane.