Observation of Mode-Converted Ion Bernstein Waves in the Microtor Tokamak

Abstract

Mode-conversion processes play an important role in the radio-frequency heating of tokamak plasmas. This paper reports the first direct observation of externally driven ion Bernstein waves in a tokamak plasma. The waves are only observed in mixed-species plasmas near the ion-ion hybrid resonance layer and are interpreted as being the result of linear mode conversion of the fast magnetosonic wave.