Stochastic Ion Heating by a Lower Hybrid Wave: II
arXiv:physics/0501034 · doi:10.1063/1.862512
Abstract
The motion of an ion in a coherent lower hybrid wave (characterized by |k_parallel| << |k_perp| and omega >> Omega_i) in a tokamak plasma is studied. For ions satisfying v_perp > omega/k_perp, the Lorentz force law for the ions is reduced to a set of difference equations which give the Larmor radius and phase of an ion on one cyclotron orbit in terms of these quantities a cyclotron period earlier. From these difference equations an earlier result [Phys. Fluids 21, 1584 (1978)] that above a certain wave amplitude the ion motion is stochastic, is readily obtained. The stochasticity threshold is given a simple physical interpretation. In addition, the difference equations are used to derive a diffusion equation governing the heating of the ions above the stochasticity threshold. By including the effects of collisions, the heating rate for the bulk ions is obtained.
Plain TeX, 48 pages, 18 figures