Electron Cyclotron Emission from a Tokamak Plasma: Experiment and Theory

Abstract

We present the first measurements of the power, polarization, and frequency spectrum of the electron cyclotron emission from a tokamak plasma. The radiation is not polarized, does not have the previously predicted spectrum, and under certain circumstances is an order of magnitude above the predicted power level. We interpret the results in terms of a scrambling of polarization on reflection within the torus and in terms of the emission from suprathermal electrons.