Study of CERC using newly installed 77 GHz gyrotron in LHD

We have investigated the transition to Core Electron-Root Confinement (CERC) using the 77 GHz ECRH system, which was newly installed in the Large Helical Device (LHD). The focal point scan of the ECRH was carried out shot by shot in the same poloidal surface along the magnetic field of 2.75 T, which is the fundamental resonance surface for 77 GHz ECRH. The formation of the steep gradient in the electron temperature and the change of the radial electric field from negative to positive value in the plasma core region were observed by the ECRH injection to ρ<0.5. The foot point of the peaked profile of the electron temperature appeared near the m/n=2/1 rational surface, which was located at ρ∼0.5. These results imply that localized ECRH in the inner region within the lower order rational surface and/or the electron heat flux across the rational surface play important roles for the transition to CERC. We also confirmed that the calculated radial electric field from a neoclassical theory qualitatively agreed with the experimental results.