ON MODE CONVERSION TO ELECTROSTATIC-WAVES IN ION-CYCLOTRON RANGE RADIOFREQUENCY HEATING OF FUSION PLASMAS

A review is given of several processes leading to a conversion to elec trostatic short wavelength waves in radiofrequency heating of fusion p lasmas in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies. Analytical and numer ical methods are presented to calculate the strength of the mode coupl ing between an incident fast magnetosonic wave and an electrostatic wa ve. The coupling is considered both in inhomogeneous tokamak edge plas mas and at the centre of the plasma in the presence of strong ion cycl otron damping. The validity of the finite Larmor radius wave equations is discussed in the case of absorption and mode coupling close to a m inority ion cyclotron resonance.