On creating transport barrier by radio-frequency waves

The use of radio frequency (RF) waves in the range of Alfven frequencies is shown to stabilize the drift-ballooning modes in the tokamak if the radial profile of the RF field energy is properly chosen. Stabilization is achieved by the ponder motive force arising due to the radial gradient in the RF field energy. The estimate of the RF power required for this stabilization is found to be rather modest and hence should be easily obtained in the actual experiments. This result therefore shows that the use of the RF waves can create a transport barrier to reduce the loss of particle and energy from the plasma. The new improved mode produced by the RF is expected to have all the advantageous features of the enhanced reverse shear (ERS) modes and at the same time will, unlike the ERS plasma, be sustainable for unlimited period of time and hence should be an attractive choice for the reactor-grade self-sustaining plasma. (author)