On the drive of modes by ICRF accelerated ions in a tokamak

Energetic ions have the potential to drive instabilities with toroidal mode number $n_{\phi} = 0$ in tokamak fusion plasmas. A necessary condition is that their distribution function is either anisotropic or exhibits a region of phase space with a positive slope in the energy direction (so-called ‘b...

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Main Authors: L.-G. Eriksson, F. Porcelli
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:Nuclear Fusion
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/adf79e
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author L.-G. Eriksson
F. Porcelli
author_facet L.-G. Eriksson
F. Porcelli
author_sort L.-G. Eriksson
collection DOAJ
description Energetic ions have the potential to drive instabilities with toroidal mode number $n_{\phi} = 0$ in tokamak fusion plasmas. A necessary condition is that their distribution function is either anisotropic or exhibits a region of phase space with a positive slope in the energy direction (so-called ‘bump-on-tail’ distribution). Here an exploration of both possibilities is presented for Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequency (ICRF) accelerated energetic ions. It is found that ion cyclotron resonance layers placed on the high-field side of the magnetic axis provide the most conducive conditions for the drive of vertical $n_{\phi} = 0$ modes. We also discuss to what extent sawtooth redistribution of the ICRF accelerated ions can transiently lead to distribution functions that are locally inverted in the energy direction. However, the latter effect appears to be less efficient in driving $n_{\phi} = 0$ vertical modes than velocity space anisotropy for high-field-side resonances.
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spelling doaj-art-965b7042a1fe45f19f75e9bc5b3a01632025-08-20T04:01:02ZengIOP PublishingNuclear Fusion0029-55152025-01-0165909200510.1088/1741-4326/adf79eOn the drive of modes by ICRF accelerated ions in a tokamakL.-G. Eriksson0https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1375-9929F. Porcelli1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3625-6417Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology , Gothenburg SE-412 96, SwedenDepartment of Applied Science and Technology, Polytechnic University of Turin , Torino 10129, ItalyEnergetic ions have the potential to drive instabilities with toroidal mode number $n_{\phi} = 0$ in tokamak fusion plasmas. A necessary condition is that their distribution function is either anisotropic or exhibits a region of phase space with a positive slope in the energy direction (so-called ‘bump-on-tail’ distribution). Here an exploration of both possibilities is presented for Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequency (ICRF) accelerated energetic ions. It is found that ion cyclotron resonance layers placed on the high-field side of the magnetic axis provide the most conducive conditions for the drive of vertical $n_{\phi} = 0$ modes. We also discuss to what extent sawtooth redistribution of the ICRF accelerated ions can transiently lead to distribution functions that are locally inverted in the energy direction. However, the latter effect appears to be less efficient in driving $n_{\phi} = 0$ vertical modes than velocity space anisotropy for high-field-side resonances.https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/adf79etokamakaxisymmetric modesion cyclotron resonance frequency accelerated ions
spellingShingle L.-G. Eriksson
F. Porcelli
On the drive of modes by ICRF accelerated ions in a tokamak
Nuclear Fusion
tokamak
axisymmetric modes
ion cyclotron resonance frequency accelerated ions
title On the drive of modes by ICRF accelerated ions in a tokamak
title_full On the drive of modes by ICRF accelerated ions in a tokamak
title_fullStr On the drive of modes by ICRF accelerated ions in a tokamak
title_full_unstemmed On the drive of modes by ICRF accelerated ions in a tokamak
title_short On the drive of modes by ICRF accelerated ions in a tokamak
title_sort on the drive of modes by icrf accelerated ions in a tokamak
topic tokamak
axisymmetric modes
ion cyclotron resonance frequency accelerated ions
url https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/adf79e
work_keys_str_mv AT lgeriksson onthedriveofmodesbyicrfacceleratedionsinatokamak
AT fporcelli onthedriveofmodesbyicrfacceleratedionsinatokamak