ECRH and its effects on neoclassical transport in stellarators

The effect of ECRH heating on the neoclassical transport of stellarators is addressed.~ We present a calculation that proceeds by solving for the lowest order electron distribution function using a Fokker-Planck equation including the effects of ECRH.~A lowest order energetic electron population is described by balancing collisions off of a background Maxwellian plasma and ECRH heating as described by a quasilinear diffusion operator.~Finite ECRH beam width and relativistic detuning effects are accounted for in the diffusion operator.~Radial particle fluxes are calculated from the 1st order corrections to the kinetic equation. With the presence of a large energetic trapped electron population, enhanced neoclassical transport is generally expected in low collision frequency plasmas.~However, a self-consistently generated E X B poloidal drift reduces the direct losses of trapped electrons.~ Progress in using ambipolarity constraints to determine the radial electric field and implications for the achievement of electron root and associated enhanced confinement regimes will be addressed.