Abstract
An ICRF full‐wave equation is used to investigate the process of inverse mode conversion of a short‐wavelength ion Bernstein wave (IBW) into a long‐wavelength fast magnetosonic wave. Appropriate boundary conditions are presented to set‐up the numerical analysis. For conditions corresponding to fundamental minority heating in tokamaks (minority concentration above 2% and k∥<9m−1) most (≳90%) of the incident IBW energy is mode converted into a fast wave that propagates towards the high field side of the device. This process can lead to an efficient transfer of thermally‐generated IBW energy away from the tokamak chamber, or it may applications as a diagnostic of ion behavior. Direct, high field side launch of an IBW at the second harmonic of the ion gyrofrequency can result in efficient (≳90%) heating of majority species if the ion temperature is above 1 keV. In all cases considered, the reciprocity of the fast wave to IBW and IBW to fast wave mode conversion coefficient has been observed.
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