Microwave Tokamak Experiment (MTX) first year of operation and future plans

The Microwave Tokamak Experiment (MTX) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) began plasma operations in November 1988, and the main goal is the study of electron-cyclotron heating (ECH) in plasma discharges. The MTX tokamak was relocated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and plasma parameters were recreated that are similar to those generated while the tokamak was at MIT. After stable ohmic operation was achieved, single pulse FEL heating experiments began. During this phase, the FEL operated at low power levels on the way to its ultimate goal of 2 GW and 140 GHz with a 30-ns pulse length. A number of new diagnostics were developed to measure these fast FEL pulses and the resulting plasma effects. Results are presented that show the correlation of MTX data with MIT data, some of the operational modifications and procedures used, results to date from preliminary tokamak operations with the FEL, and the near-term operational plans.