A neutral particle beam system for ITER with RF acceleration

A concept for a current drive system that is based on negative ions with beam energies >1 MeV is presented. Preliminary physics calculations, which are discussed, show that the core current necessary for stability enhancement can be achieved by beams with energy ranging from 1 to 3 MeV. Further study and experiments will better define the optimum energy. Work under way at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, at AccSys Technology Inc., and at collaborating institutes in the United States, Canada, and the Federal Republic of Germany is continuing to define systems, their elements, configurations, and operational scenarios deemed appropriate for such devices as ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) ARIES (Advanced Reactor Innovation and Evaluation Study), and other future steady-state tokamaks. The cost of the RF-accelerated beam should be quite competitive with DC beam concepts being considered for current drive. Not only would the cost per unit power for the RF concept be attractive but the development costs and time also should be quite reasonable.<<ETX>>