Second stable regime of internal kink modes excited by barely passing energetic ions in tokamak plasmas

The internal kink (fishbone) modes, driven by barely passing energetic ions (EIs), are numerically studied with the spatial distribution of the EIs taking into account. It is found that the modes with frequencies comparable to the toroidal precession frequencies are excited by resonant interaction with the EIs. Positive and negative density gradient dominating cases, corresponding to off- and near-axis depositions of neutral beam injection (NBI), respectively, are analyzed in detail. The most interesting and important feature of the modes is that there exists a second stable regime in higher beta(h) (= pressure of EIs/toroidal magnetic pressure) range, and the modes may only be excited by the barely passing EIs in a region of beta(th1) < beta(h) < beta(th2) (beta(th) is threshold or critical beta of EIs). Besides, the unstable modes require minimum density gradients and minimum radial positions of NBI deposition. The physics mechanism for the existence of the second stable regime is discussed. The results may provide a means of reducing or even preventing the loss of NBI energetic ions and increasing the heating efficiency by adjusting the pitch angle and driving the system into the second stable regime fast enough. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3463113]