ITER Reference ICRF Antenna Analysis with TOPICA Code

TOPICA (Torino Polytechnic Ion Cyclotron Antenna) code is an innovative tool for the 3D/1D simulation of Ion Cyclotron Radio Frequency (ICRF), i.e. accounting for antennas in a realistic 3D geometry and with an accurate 1D plasma model [1]. The TOPICA suite, validated against measurements and data of mock-ups and existing antennas, has been proved to be a reliable tool for antennas performance prediction during operating conditions. The first part of this work reports on an extensive set of comparisons between TOPICA code and RANT3D code [2] results adopting different geometrical model of an ITER Reference ICRF antenna. Furthermore, in the second part, a detailed analysis of the performances of an ITER-like ICRF antenna geometry has been carried out, underlining the strong dependence and asymmetries of antenna input parameters due to plasma conditions. Electric current distribution on conductors in the vacuum region and electric field distribution in the vacuum region and at the interface with plasma edge are shown as well.