MODELING OF EBW HEATING IN THE HSX STELLARATOR

Electron Bernstein waves (EBW) can propagate into the high-density region of a plasma because they don't have a cut-off. This makes them attractive both for heating and for the electron temperature measurement in an overdense plasma. In this paper we mainly explore the O-X-B mode conversion scenario into the HSX stellarator. The analysis uses a 3-D ray tracing code which employs the cold plasma dispersion relation for O-X-wave propagation, while the electron temperature is taken into account for the EBW case. It is shown that O-X-B mode conversion with high efficiency may take place in the plasma region around the HSX box port.