Formation and Sustainment of Low Aspect Ratio Torus Plasma by EGH in the LATE Device

A plasma current of 1o - 3 kA is generated and maintained for I second by injecting a 2.45 GHz microwave power of 5 kW without Ohmic heating power. Magnetic measurements suggest that closed flux surfaces are formed. The electron density inferred from an interferometer is more than 1.0 x 10rr cm-3 which is beyond the plasma cut off density, suggesting that electron cyclotron heating by modeconverted electron Bemstein waves may be responsible for plasma heating and current drive. The plasma currents are observed to increase with the increase of RF power and equilibrium vertical field, and 1o = 5 kA have been obtained by 2 GHz klystron power of 53 kW.