Identification of Minority Ion-Cyclotron Emission during Radio Frequency Heating in the JET Tokamak

Abstract

First measurements and identification of minority ion-cyclotron emission (MICE) during ICRF (H)D minority heating in the JET tokamak are presented. An inner wall radiofrequency (rf) probe shows the new single MICE spectral line, down-shifted from the heating frequency and appearing approximately 400 ms after the ICRH switch-on. The line is narrow (Deltaomega/omega approximately 0.04), characterized by the ion-cyclotron frequency of minority protons in the outer-edge midplane plasma and is observed irrespective of whether single or multifrequency ICRH is applied. The observations are consistent with the classical evolution and population of the plasma edge with approximately 3 MeV ICRH protons on orbits near the outboard limiters. Particle loss and energy filtering contribute to a local non-Maxwellian energetic ion distribution, which is susceptible to ion-cyclotron instability.