CRITICAL MAGNETIC SHEAR FOR THE TOKAMAK IDEAL INTERNAL KINK MODE IN THE ION KINETIC REGIME

It is shown that for the ideal internal kink mode of tokamak plasma, there exists a critical magnetic shear s_0c for its excitation when the finite ion Larmor radius effect is considered in the mode singular layer. This can be related to the sudden onset of the sawtooth and also to the stabilization of the sawtooth by the trapped hot ions observed experimentally. The alpha particle effect on this mode is revisited and some new results are reported.