ICRF Heating for SPARC

SPARC is designed to have a 25 MW coupled ICRF system as its sole proposed auxiliary heating method. SPARC RF scenarios are based on the successes of Alcator C-Mod as well as the TFTR and JET programs during their D-T operation. Among heating methods, ICRF is the only proven method that can effectively heat high density and high field plasmas in SPARC for both the pre-D-T and D-T operations. The single-pass-absorption for D-T-($^3$He) burning plasma combining 2$^\textrm{nd}$ harmonic T heating and minority $^3$He heating will be greater than 90% during flat top operations. In addition to operation at 120 MHz and 12 T, we will discuss the possibility of 3-species scenario operation at a lower 8 T operation. Optimum fusion yield occurs for beam on target temperatures of 110 keV. This suggests tuning of ICRF scenarios to create tail energies for fuel ions in this range can be used to maximize the D-T burn rate. AORSA/CQL3D simulations will be discussed showing the generation of T and $^3$He tails and characterizing the general increase of the fusion rate in an ICRF heated plasma over the thermal D-T rate. The impact on Q as determined by TRANSP will be shown using effective Maxwellian for the T tail.