Kinetic Alfvén eigenmodes in a hot tokamak plasma

Kinetic effects such as finite ion Larmor excursions and resonant Landau interactions are studied in the toroidicity Alfvén eigenmode (TAE) range of frequencies. A new Alfvén mode conversion mechanism is described taking place away from the resonances through toroidal mode coupling. It generates a group of kinetic Alfvén eigenmodes (KAE) in the neighbourhood of each fluid eigenmode, with wavefields that extend throughout the plasma radius and could lead to substantial particle losses. Comparisons carried out with measurements from the JET tokamak show that the multiple peaks observed on the response are KAE-induced in the neighbourhood of an elongation-induced Alfvén eigenmode.