Fluid modeling of radio frequency and direct currents in a biased magnetized plasma

This model aims at simulating a magnetized plasma column connected on one side to a probe and on the other side to an ICRH (Ion Cyclotron Resonant Heating) antenna. This is a double probe modeling of a plasma flux tube exchanging perpendicular currents: rf polarization current and dc currents (inertia, viscous, and friction) perpendicular to the magnetic field. A self consistent solution for the rectified potential and the density is obtained under the assumptions of flute hypothesis, inertialess electrons, and no collision in parallel direction. The main effect of rf biasing on the antenna side is to shift the IV characteristic so that the floating potential can be increased up to ln(I-0(eV(rf)/(k(B)T(e)))), with I-0 the modified Bessel function of the first kind. On the contrary, the effect of dc currents is to decrease the plasma potential and the sheath potential which can be lower than 3k(B)T(e)/e or even be negative. Experimental characteristics are well matched by the 1D fluid code and exhibit very high negative currents (more than 30j(i) the ion saturation current) for high positive biasing of the probe and for long flux tube (10 m). The non-saturation of the electron current is here due to high transverse transport enhanced by convective fluxes and dc currents able to bring an amount of density around the biased flux tube. During comparisons with experiments, the floating potential measured by a reciprocating probe is recovered by the code revealing that for a 120V measured peak potential on the probe, the rf potential on the ICRH antenna is twice this value. Finally, the density profile can be flattened or steepened as a function of the transverse dc current direction. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4802190]