1 EX/P5-14 ECH Power Deposition at 3rd Harmonic in high Elongation TCV Discharges Sustained by 2nd Harmonic Current Profile Broadening

Abstract. This paper summarises the present effort aimed at developing high elongation heated discharges and testing their confinement properties at normalised currents for which the highest ideal MHD β-limits are predicted. 2nd harmonic (X2) far off-axis ECH/CD is used to stabilise the plasma vertically at high elongation by broadening the current profile in stationary conditions (during the current flat top and over several current diffusion times). Current broadening is maximal for a power deposition in a narrow region (~a/5), for a finite toroidal injection angle and for high plasma density using upper lateral launchers to minimise refraction. In these discharges which are twice X2 overdense in the centre, 3rd harmonic (X3) is injected from a top launcher to deposit power in the centre and increase the central pressure, simultaneously with far off-axis X2. Using modulated X3, full absorption is measured by the diamagnetic probe. Absorption higher than calculated by thermal ray tracing is occasionally found, indicating absorption on the electron bulk as well as in the suprathermal electron population sometimes with a hollow deposition profile. The high sensitivity of the power coupling to the beam angle stresses the need for developing a mirror feedback scheme [1] to increase the coupling efficiency in transient heating scenarios. 1