Kinetic stability of the internal kink mode in ITER

The kinetic stability of the n=1, m=1 internal kink mode is analyzed for realistic equilibria typical of the standard operation scenario of ITER (the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) [ITER Physics Basis Editors, Nucl. Fusion 39, 2137 (1999)]. The kinetic effects modify the inertia and the perturbed potential energy δW of the mode, the two key elements determining the mode stability. Numerical results are obtained for ITER-like equilibria with different q profiles. For moderate magnetic shear within the q=1 surface, the low frequency magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) branch is fully suppressed by the kinetic effects for the expected profiles and parameters up to twice the expected plasma β while the high frequency fishbone branch is found to be destabilized as the plasma β and the radius of the q=1 surface increase. The MHD branch can be destabilized at higher plasma β or larger radii of the q=1 surface only for q profiles with a low magnetic shear within the q=1 surface.