Front-end antenna system design for the ITER low-field-side reflectometer system using GENRAY ray tracing.

A monostatic antenna array arrangement has been designed for the microwave front-end of the ITER low-field-side reflectometer (LFSR) system. This paper presents details of the antenna coupling coefficient analyses performed using GENRAY, a 3-D ray tracing code, to evaluate the plasma height accommodation capability of such an antenna array design. Utilizing modeled data for the plasma equilibrium and profiles for the ITER baseline and half-field scenarios, a design study was performed for measurement locations varying from the plasma edge to inside the top of the pedestal. A front-end antenna configuration is recommended for the ITER LFSR system based on the results of this coupling analysis.