Lower Hybrid Current Drive


Lower Hybrid Current Drive (LHCD) is a method of plasma heating and current drive in which a wave is launched into the plasma at a frequency slightly below the electron cyclotron frequency. The wave interacts with the electrons in the plasma, transferring energy to them and driving a current. LHCD is used in fusion research to heat and sustain the plasma in a tokamak fusion reactor. It has the advantage of being able to drive current in the plasma without directly interacting with the fast ions, which can cause instabilities. LHCD systems typically consist of a launcher, transmission line, and matching network to couple the wave into the plasma. The launcher is typically a set of waveguides or antennas that are designed to launch the wave into the plasma in a controlled manner.


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