ECRH-assisted plasma start-up with toroidally inclined launch: Multi-machine comparison and perspectives for ITER

Electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH)-assisted plasma breakdown is foreseen with full and half magnetic field in ITER. As reported earlier, the corresponding O1- and X2-schemes have been successfully used to assist pre-ionization and breakdown in present-day devices. This contribution reports on common experiments studying the effect of toroidal inclination of the ECR beam, which is ≥20° in ITER. All devices could demonstrate successful breakdown assistance for this case also, although in some experiments the necessary power was almost a factor of 2 higher compared with perpendicular launch. Differences between the devices with regard to the required power and vertical field are discussed and analysed. In contrast to most of these experiments, ITER will build up loop voltage prior to the formation of the field null due to the strong shielding by the vessel. Possible consequences of this difference are discussed.