Destabilization of internal kink modes at high frequency by energetic circulating ions

A theoretical model is proposed to interpret the high-frequency fishbone instability observed in tangential neutral-beam-injection discharges in a tokamak. It is shown that, when the beam ion beta exceeds a critical value, energetic circulating ions can indeed destabilize the internal kink mode through circulation resonance at a high frequency comparable to the circulation frequency of the energetic ions. The critical beta value of the energetic ions, the real frequency, and the growth rate of the mode are in general agreement with the high-frequency fishbone instability observed in experiments.