1,721,092 research outputs found
Nonlinear energetic particle transport in the presence of multiple Alfvénic waves in ITER
No full textThis work presents the results of a multi-mode ITER study on toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes (TAEs), using the nonlinear hybrid Hagis-Ligka model. It is found that main conclusions from earlier studies of Asdex Upgrade discharges can be transferred to the ITER scenario: global, nonlinear effects are crucial for the evolution of the multi-mode scenario. This work focuses on the ITER 15 MA baseline scenario with a safety factor at the magnetic axis of q 0 = 0.986. The least damped eigenmodes of the system are identified with the gyrokinetic, non-perturbative Ligka solver, concerning the mode structure, frequency and damping. Taking into account all weakly damped modes that can be identified linearly, nonlinear simulations with Hagis reveal strong multi-mode behaviour: while in some parameter ranges, quasilinear estimates turn out to be reasonable approximations for the nonlinearly relaxed energetic particle (EP) profile, under certain conditions low-n TAE branches can be excited. As a consequence, not only grow amplitudes of all modes to (up to orders of magnitude) higher values compared to the single mode cases but also, strong redistribution is triggered in the outer radial area between √ρpol = 0.6 and 0.85, far above quasilinear estimates. © 2016 EURATOM
Saturation of single toroidal number Alfvén modes
No full textThe results of numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the saturation mechanism of a single toroidal number Alfvén mode, driven unstable, in a tokamak plasma, by the resonant interaction with energetic ions. The effects of equilibrium geometry non-uniformities and finite mode radial width on the wave-particle nonlinear dynamics are discussed. Saturation occurs as the fast-ion density flattening produced by the radial flux associated to the resonant particles captured in the potential well of the Alfvén wave extends over the whole region where mode-particle power exchange can take place. The occurrence of two different saturation regimes is shown. In the first regime, dubbed resonance detuning, that region is limited by the resonance radial width (that is, the width of the region where the fast-ion resonance frequency matches the mode frequency). In the second regime, called radial decoupling, the power exchange region is limited by the mode radial width. In the former regime, the mode saturation amplitude scales quadratically with the growth rate; in the latter, it scales linearly. The occurrence of one or the other regime can be predicted on the basis of linear dynamics: in particular, the radial profile of the fast-ion resonance frequency and the mode structure. Here, we discuss how such properties can depend on the considered toroidal number and compare simulation results with the predictions obtained from a simplified nonlinear pendulum model. © EUROfusion
Linear gyrokinetic particle-in-cell simulations of Alfvén instabilities in tokamaks
No full textThe linear dynamics of Alfvén modes in tokamaks is investigated here by means of the global gyrokinetic particle-in-cell code ORB5, within the NEMORB project. The model equations are shown and the local shear Alfvén wave dispersion relation is derived, recovering the continuous spectrum in the incompressible ideal MHD limit. A verification and benchmark analysis is performed for continuum modes in a cylinder and for toroidicity-induced Alfvén Eigenmodes. Modes in a reversed-shear equilibrium are also investigated, and the dependence of the spatial structure in the poloidal plane on the equilibrium parameters is described. In particular, a phase-shift in the poloidal angle is found to be present for modes whose frequency touches the continuum, whereas a radial symmetry is found to be characteristic of modes in the continuum gap. © 2016 EURATOM
Linear benchmarks between the hybrid codes HYMAGYC and HMGC to study energetic particle driven Alfvénic modes
No full textResonant interaction between energetic particles (EPs), produced by fusion reactions and/or additional heating systems, and shear Alfvén modes can destabilize global Alfvénic modes enhancing the EP transport. In order to investigate the EP transport in present and next generation fusion devices, numerical simulations are recognized as a very important tool. Among the various numerical models, the hybrid MHD gyrokinetic one has shown to be a valid compromise between a sufficiently accurate wave-particle interaction description and affordable computational resource requirements. This paper presents a linear benchmark between the hybrid codes HYMAGYC and HMGC. The HYMAGYC code solves the full, linear MHD equations in general curvilinear geometry for the bulk plasma and describes the EP population by the nonlinear gyrokinetic Vlasov equation. On the other side, HMGC solves the nonlinear, reduced (ε3 0), pressureless MHD equations (ε0 being the inverse aspect ratio) for the bulk plasma and the drift kinetic Vlasov equation for the EPs. The results of the HYMAGYC and HMGC codes have been compared both in the MHD limit and in a wide range of the EP parameter space for two test cases (one of which being the so-called TAE n = 6 ITPA Energetic Particle Group test case), both characterized by ε0 ≪ 1. In the first test case (test case A), good qualitative agreement is found w.r.t. real frequencies, growth rates and spatial structures of the most unstable modes, with some quantitative differences for the growth rates. For the so-called ITPA test case (test case B), at the nominal energetic particle density value, the disagreement between the two codes is, on the contrary, also qualitative, as a different mode is found as the most unstable one. © 2016 EURATOM
IMPROVED DERIVATION OF SHEAR STABILIZATION OF THE UNIVERSAL MODE IN SLAB GEOMETRY USING ASYMPTOTIC TECHNIQUES
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