Monte-Carlo model for nonlinear interactions of Alfvén eigenmodes with energetic ions

A Monte-Carlo model for interactions between a single Alfvén eigenmode and energetic ions in a tokamak is presented. A phenomenological decorrelation of the wave-particle phase is introduced to mimic decorrelation by collisions or by other waves. Analysis is dedicated to how the strength of the phase decorrelation affects the nonlinear wave-particle interactions. Several of the phenomena that have been observed in some earlier models describing the nonlinear dynamics of Alfvén eigenmodes have been verified, such as the growth and saturation of the wave mode amplitude giving rise to a localized flattening of the distribution function, as well as the generation of coherent structures in the distribution function. The degree of phase decorrelation is shown to have a strong effect on the dynamics of the Alfvén eigenmode excitation.