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The electron cyclotron (EC) system of ITER for the initial configuration is designed to provide 20MW of RF power into the plasma during 3600s and a duty cycle of up to 25% for heating and (co and counter) non-inductive current drive, also used to control the MHD plasma instabilities. The EC system is being procured by 5 domestic agencies plus the ITER Organization (IO). F4E has the largest fraction of the EC procurements, which includes 8 high voltage power supplies (HVPS), 6 gyrotrons, the ex-vessel waveguides (includes isolation valves and diamond windows) for all launchers, 4 upper launchers and the main control system. F4E is working with IO to improve the overall design of the EC system by integrating consolidated technological advances, simplifying the interfaces, and doing global engineering analysis and assessments of EC heating and current drive physics and technology capabilities. Examples are the optimization of the HVPS and gyrotron requirements and performance relative to power modulation for MHD control, common qualification programs for diamond window procurements, assessment of the EC grounding system, and the optimization of the launcher steering angles for improved EC access. Here we provide an update on the status of Europe’s contribution to the ITER EC system, and a summary of the global activities underway by F4E in collaboration with IO for the optimization of the subsystems.

Electron cyclotron waves injected from an antenna located in the upper part of the vessel will be employed in ITER to controlMHD instabilities, particularly neoclassical tearingmodes (NTMs). The derivation of the NTM stabilization criteria used up to now to guide the optimization of the launcher is reviewed in this paper and their range of validity elucidated. Possible effects leading to a deterioration of the predicted performance through a broadening of the EC deposition profile are discussed. The most detrimental effect will likely be the scattering of the EC beams from density fluctuations, resulting in a beam broadening in the 100% range. The combined impact of these effects with that of beam misalignment (with respect to the targeted surface) is discussed for a time slice of the standard Q = 10 H-mode scenario.

The ITER Electron Cyclotron Equatorial Launcher is designed to be one of the heating systems to assist and sustain the development of various ITER plasma scenarios starting with the very first plasma operation. Here the capabilities for Heating and Current Drive of this system are reviewed. In particular, the optimum launching conditions are investigated for two scenarios at burn, comparing toroidal and poloidal steering options. Then, the EC capabilities are investigated for different plasma parameters corresponding to various phases of the ITER plasma discharge, from current ramp-up up to burn, and for a wide range of magnetic field, focusing in particular on the EC potential for heating and for L to H-mode assist. It is found that the EC system can contribute to a wide range of heating scenarios during the ramp-up of the magnetic field, significantly increasing the applicable range as a function of magnetic field.

The electron cyclotron (EC) heating & current drive (H&CD) system on ITER provides plasma heating by generating, transmitting, and launching high-intensity, high-frequency (170 GHz) electromagnetic wave energy steerable across the plasma cross-section. The transmission line (TL) subsystem connects the Matching Optics Unit (MOU) on each of the 24 gyrotrons to the 32 feed points in the four upper launchers and the 24 feed points in the equatorial launcher. Each TL must be able to operate at up to 1.2 MW of input power for up to 1 hour pulse lengths. The TL system contains 50 mm water-cooled corrugated waveguide, 90o miter bends, 140o miter bends, polarizer miter bend pairs, switches, expansion units, pumpouts, DC breaks, MOU-TL adapters, Radio Frequency (RF) loads, and isolation shutter valves. A detailed finite element analysis has been used to verify the thermo-mechanical performance of each component. The microwave performance has been analyzed using a 2-D electromagnetic code combined with a Monte Carlo code. This approach allows the impact of manufacturing and installation tolerances to be assessed and optimized to provide a high probability of achieving the system performance requirements. Prototypes of the waveguide and TL components have been fabricated and tested at high-power. Production contracts are now being issued for fabrication and delivery of the waveguide and components to ITER.

The development of advanced spintronics materials necessitates novel characterization tools with the ability to analyze nanometer-scale spin textures. Neutrons, with their angstrom-sized wavelengths, electric neutrality, and controllable spin states, are uniquely suited for this task. Recent research has prioritized expanding the capabilities of the “neutron toolbox” to effectively characterize emerging materials. This involves the development of holographic and tomographic techniques for 3D characterization of bulk spin textures, alongside methods for creating structured neutron beams with specific spin-orbit states like helical and skyrmion configurations. Here we provide a concise overview of these advancements, exploring their potential future applications.

MAST-Upgrade (MAST-U) is undergoing several enhancements to deliver increased performance and functionality. One such enhancement is the design, development, and implementation of an Electron Bernstein Wave (EBW) Heating and Current Drive (HCD) System. The MAST-U EBW System aims to provide experimental data for model validation, and to provide a greater understanding of EBW physics and its capabilities. The MAST-U EBW System provides up to 1.8 MW of microwave power into the plasma, through a system comprising: high voltage power supplies; two gyrotrons; evacuated transmission lines; a steerable in-vessel launching system; and associated control and ancillary systems. The gyrotrons from Kyoto Fusioneering have a 0.9 MW output power capability at the dual frequencies of 28GHz and 34.8GHz, allowing start-up and current drive studies to be carried out at their respective optimum frequencies. Additional diagnostics, termed interceptor plates, are proposed to sit in the path of the first reflection. These will measure the reflected power from the plasma, to both act as an interlock if the reflected power is too high, and provide key information on the coupling efficiency.

GENRAY and CQL3D were used to estimate the Electron Bernstein Wave (EBW) current drive profiles and normalised current drive efficiency ζCD (6) for several STEP reactor concepts with varying temperature, density, geometry and magnetic field. ζCD > 1.0 was readily found for ρ = 0.65 − 0.9 while ζCD > 0.5 was found for ρ ≥ 0.5. Okhawa is found to be the most efficient current drive mechanism due to the high trapped fraction in STEP. Optimal current drive was found for 2nd harmonic absorption for ρ ≤ 0.8 due to the higher ν⊥ at the wave-particle resonance. 1st harmonic absorption is required for ρ > 0.8 as there is no access to the 2nd harmonic at the launch frequencies examined. Rays with negative starting N∥ were found to penetrate furthest. Due to the high electron temperature in STEP the relativistic downshift of the harmonic becomes comparable to the Doppler shift, increasing access to the 2nd harmonic.

The ITER Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ECRH) & Current Drive (ECCD) system is planned to be progressively installed and commissioned following the four stage approach of the ITER Research Plan. Starting with an injection of up to 5.8 MW from one Upper Launcher (UL) in the vacuum vessel to assist the plasma breakdown during First Plasma (FP) operation, the system will then be extended to achieve a capability of 20 MW injected power in Pre-Fusion Plasma Operation (PFPO) and Fusion Power Operation (FPO) phases. Development of optical modelling was required to characterize the optical performance of the FP configuration with the so-called First Plasma Protection Components. An optical 3D model using Zemax OpticStudio® has been developed and extended to the UL. Effects of higher order modes, thermal deformations and tolerances on the UL functionality have been characterized and are presented. Finally, in preparation of plasma operation and in the frame of the EC system upgrade layout optimisation, ECRH-ECCD modelling is being undertaken within the ITER Integrated Modelling and Analysis (IMAS) suite.

The ITER ECH&CD system is designed to inject 20 MW of millimetre-wave at 170 GHz into the vacuum vessel. The system is composed of many sub-systems, namely High-Voltage Power Supplies (HVPS), Gyrotrons, Transmission Lines (TL), Ex-vessel Waveguides (EW), Launchers. It is the role of the EC Plant Controller (ECPC) to integrate all the Sub-system Control Units (SCU), to prepare the system for operation and to execute the real-time requests coming from the plasma control system. The ECPC also implements plant level protection functions involving more than one sub-system and it interfaces with the ITER Central I&C. This paper gives an overview of the EC system and a description of the control system development focusing on the architecture and the interfaces. Control and protection functions are presented together with a functional allocation to better define interfaces and responsibilities. The preliminary design of the interface with the Plasma Control System to implement advanced control functions is also presented.

The UK’s Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) reactor design program has recently taken the decision to use exclusively microwave-based heating and current drive (HCD) actuators for its reactor concepts. This is based on a detailed assessment considering all viable HCD concepts, covering the grid to plasma efficiency, physics applications, technology maturity, integration, maintenance, and costs. Of the two microwave techniques: Electron Cyclotron (EC) and Electron Bernstein Wave (EBW), EC was deemed the lowest risk and EBW is retained as a potential path to a more efficient, higher performing device. To assess the ECCD efficiency, the GRAY beam tracing code was employed to perform detailed scans of the launcher position, toroidal and poloidal launch angle, and frequency over the first 3 cyclotron harmonics. For EBW, GENRAY/CQL3D were used to estimate the CD efficiency, demonstrating promising results. To reduce the physics uncertainties in present models for EBW coupling and current drive, MAST Upgrade will install two dual frequency (28, 34.8 GHz), 900kW, 5s gyrotrons from Kyoto Fusioneering, as part of the MAST Upgrade enhancements package. This will be accompanied by a flexible 2D steering launcher system to allow midplane coand counter-CD and above midplane launch for co-direction off-axis CD. Coupling efficiency is quantified by measuring the heating induced by reflected (i.e. non-coupled) power to a plate inserted in the reflected beam path. The experiments will also include EBW driven solenoid-free start-up, increasing power and pulse length by a factor of 10 compared to previous MAST experiments. This presentation will discuss the STEP microwave studies and the MAST Upgrade physics design and capabilities.

Time dependent simulations that evolve consistently the magnetic equilibrium and plasma pressure profiles and the width and frequency rotation of magnetic islands under the effect of the Electron Cyclotron feedback system are used to assess whether the control of NTMs on ITER is compatible with other simulataneous functionalities of the EC system, like core heating and current profile tailoring, or sawtooth control. Results indicate that the power needs for control can be reduced if the EC power is reserved and if pre-emptive control is used as opposed to an active search for an already developed island.

The four ITER Electron Cyclotron Upper Launchers (UL) are designed to control Magneto- Hydrodynamic instabilities with the deposition of Electron Cyclotron power. According to the present design, each launcher comprises two rows of four input waveguides, whose output beam is focused and driven towards the plasma by four sets of mirrors. In order to study the beam-launcher interaction throughout quasi-optical propagation, with particular attention to straylight behaviour, and to verify analytical calculations, a 3D model of the UL optical system has been implemented with the electromagnetic code GRASP® and the Physical Optics method. Detailed description of the components are introduced: pure hybrid mode HE11 from cylindrical waveguide as input beams, real shapes of the mirror contours, semi-analytical description of the ellipsoidal surfaces of focussing mirrors. A conceptual calculation scheme has been developed in order to take into account not only the direct contribution of the single source on its next scatterer but also the first order indirect effects: crosstalk from different lines of the same row and crosstalk from different rows have been evaluated after reflection on the first and third set of mirrors. The evaluations presented have been performed on the preliminary UL design, the last major milestone before finalization; however, the numerical model is suitable to be applied to future evolutions of the setup and/or other configurations.

The 24 MW ITER Electron Cyclotron (EC) Heating and Current Drive (H&CD) system, operating at 170 GHz, consists of one Equatorial (EL) and four Upper Launchers (UL). The main task of the UL will be the control of Magneto-Hydrodynamic (MHD) activity such as Neoclassical Tearing Modes (NTMs) at the q=3/2 and q=2 surfaces, but it will also be needed for current profile tailoring in advanced scenarios and to assist plasma break-down and L- to H-mode transition. Moreover, it is required to be e.ective both when ITER will operate at nominal and reduced magnetic field magnitude. Here the performance of the UL is assessed through the study of the full temporal evolution of di.erent scenarios, including the reference ITER 15MA H-mode plasma, a half-field case at 2.65T, and a steady state scenario. The ECCD efficiency has been evaluated for a wide range of injection angles, deriving the optimal angles and the power required for NTMs stabilization, as well as the steering range necessary to reach the rational surfaces during all the phases of the discharge. The steering sensitivity to shifts of the target or aiming errors has been estimated too. The result is an assessment of the UL design requirements to achieve the desired functionalities, which, together with the engineering limits, will be used to drive the optimization and finalization of the UL design.

The Electron Cyclotron Emission (ECE) diagnostic provides essential information for plasma operation and for establishing performance characteristics in ITER. Recently, the design of the ITER ECE diagnostic has been taken through the conceptual design review and now entering the detailed design phase [1, 2]. The baseline ECE system on ITER permits measurements of both the X- and O-mode radiation in the frequency range from 70 GHz up to 1 THz along two lines-of-sight, perpendicular and oblique at about 10 degrees, in the equatorial port. The system as planned meets the ITER measurement requirements. Nevertheless, there are several other mm-wave diagnostics in ITER, such as HFS, LFS and plasma position reflectometry, as well as Collective Thomson scattering system, whose transmission lines allow, in principle, additional measurements of parts of the ECE spectrum with upgrades of their back-ends, improvements in filtering and/or additional receivers. A discussion of whether and how supposedly to enable such ECE measurements is given here.