Stabilization of Neoclassical Tearing Modes by Rf Current

Neoclassical tearing mode (NTM) can degrade plasma confinement or even cause disruptions in existing tokamaks.Stabilization of the / 3 / 2 m n = NTMs by radio frequency (rf) current is investigated by the modified Rutherford equation (MRE) in this paper.In a range of parameters, the required rf current for mode stabilization is obtained, which is linearly proportional to the bootstrap current density for both modulated current drive (MCD) and non-modulated current drive (NMCD), linearly (quadratically) to the radial width of the rf current for MCD (NMCD), and quadratically to the radial deviation of the rf current from the rational surface for both MCD and NMCD.