Electron Bernstein wave current drive in the start-up phase of a Tokamak discharge

Current drive by electron Bernstein waves in the start-up phase of Tokamak discharges is studied. A general analytical expression is derived for the figure of merit J/P d associated with these waves. This is coupled with a ray tracing code, allowing the calculation of the total current generated per unit incident power in realistic Tokamak conditions. The results show that electron Bernstein waves can drive substantial currents even at very low electron temperatures.