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

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.