LOWER-HYBRID WAVE COUPLING IN PBX-M

The coupling of the waves launched from a 4.6 GHz lower hybrid (LH) system into PBX-M plasmas has been studied for both L mode and H mode plasmas. The characteristics of the plasma in front of the LH coupler have been measured with a fast Langmuir probe. The reflected power of the coupler has been measured across the transition to the H mode as a function of phase and the distance between the coupler and the separatrix. A transient rise in the LH reflection coefficient was observed near the L-H transition under some conditions. Coupling depends primarily on the electron density in the vicinity of the coupler, and proper positioning of the coupler can compensate for changes in the plasma edge due to H mode transitions. Good coupling can be maintained throughout the H mode.