Mode conversion to the kinetic Alfvén wave in low-frequency heating experiments in the TCA tokamak

H. Weisen; K. Appert; G. G. Borg; B. Joye; A. J. Knight; J. B. Lister; J. Vaclavik

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.63.2476

Mode conversion to the kinetic Alfvén wave in low-frequency heating experiments in the TCA tokamak

H. Weisen, K. Appert, G. G. Borg, B. Joye, A. J. Knight, J. B. Lister, and J. Vaclavik

Phys. Rev. Lett. 63, 2476 – Published 27 November 1989

Abstract

Excitation of Alfvén waves in the TCA tokamak using an external antenna structure produces a radially inward propagating and strongly damped wave which is observable through its associated density oscillations. It is found to have the properties of the kinetic Alfvén wave predicted to be created by resonant mode conversion at shear Alfvén wave resonance layers. Our experimental results are compared with the original theory of Hasegawa and Chen and with numerical calculations in cylindrical geometry.

Received 11 April 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.63.2476

Authors & Affiliations

H. Weisen, K. Appert, G. G. Borg, B. Joye, A. J. Knight, J. B. Lister, and J. Vaclavik

Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas, Association EURATOM–Confédération Suisse, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 21, Av. des Bains, CH-1007 Lausanne, Switzerland