Abstract
The total longitudinal force which acts on a high-frequency heated plasma column is derived for any arbitrary absorption mechanism. This force arises from any departure from longitudinal symmetry (longitudinal plasma motion, a single travelling wave, etc.). It results in particle drifts and poloidal fields which may be relevant to toroidal plasma confinement. High-frequency power of order 105 W is sufficient to replace the driving electric field in a moderate scale tokamak.