Tritium Minority Heating with Mode Conversion of Fast Waves

A new ion heating scenario in tokamak plasmas, based on cyclotron damping of ion Bernstein waves (IBW) by Tritium minority at the first cyclotron harmonic, is discussed in a theoretical framework. The IBW are coupled by mode conversion of fast magnetosonic waves in a D(H) plasma. The mode conversion layer is located near the center of the plasma column provided the D/H density ratio approaches unity, and close to the resonant layer of the Tritium minority. A specific scenario for the JET tokamak, has been analyzed by the code TORIC. As a result, efficient heating of the Tritium minority is expected. © 2008 American Institute of Physics.