Development of a superthermal electron avalanche and tearing mode suppression during electron cyclotron resonant heating

The critical velocity, for electron acceleration up to the superthermal region, is expressed in terms of the heating power per particle, instead of the inductively applied electric field. This expression is used to evaluate the superthermal electron production rate in a superthermal electron avalanche during electron cyclotron resonant heating (ECRH). The comparison between the predicted growth time of the superthermal electron avalanche and the experimental decay time of tearing modes provides an additional confirmation of the recent theory for the suppression of magnetohydrodynamic modes by superthermal electrons during ECRH.