Spontaneous Generation of Rotation in Tokamak Plasmas

Spontaneous Generation of Rotation in Tokamak Plasmas
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 6
Release: 2013
Genre:
ISBN:

Three different aspects of intrinsic rotation have been treated. i) A new, first principles model for intrinsic rotation [F.I. Parra, M. Barnes and P.J. Catto, Nucl. Fusion 51, 113001 (2011)] has been implemented in the gyrokinetic code GS2. The results obtained with the code are consistent with several experimental observations, namely the rotation peaking observed after an L-H transition, the rotation reversal observed in Ohmic plasmas, and the change in rotation that follows Lower Hybrid wave injection. ii) The model in [F.I. Parra, M. Barnes and P.J. Catto, Nucl. Fusion 51, 113001 (2011)] has several simplifying assumptions that seem to be satisfied in most tokamaks. To check the importance of these hypotheses, first principles equations that do not rely on these simplifying assumptions have been derived, and a version of these new equations has been implemented in GS2 as well. iii) A tokamak cross-section that drives large intrinsic rotation has been proposed for future large tokamaks. In large tokamaks, intrinsic rotation is expected to be very small unless some up-down asymmetry is introduced. The research conducted under this contract indicates that tilted ellipticity is the most efficient way to drive intrinsic rotation.

Rotation Generation and Transport in Tokamak Plasmas

Rotation Generation and Transport in Tokamak Plasmas
Author: Yuri Anatoly Podpaly
Publisher:
Total Pages: 201
Release: 2012
Genre:
ISBN:

Plasma toroidal rotation is a factor important for plasma stability and transport, but it is still a fairly poorly understood area of physics. This thesis focuses on three aspects of rotation: momentum transport, Ohmic rotation reversals, and LHCD induced rotation. Momentum transport is approached in a semi-empirical method through the development of the "Toy Model." The "Toy Model" assumes that the toroidal momentum is transported via diffusive and convective profiles, and, using assumptions about the diffusive and convective terms, it can generate the profiles of the residual stress or source as a function of space and time. Several resultant source profile calculations are shown for SSEP sweeps, rotation reversals, H-modes, and I-modes. Generally, it is observed that the convective profiles do not greatly improve the fits to the data, and that source profiles have peaks around the steep core rotation gradient region of the plasma. Rotation reversals, spontaneous reversals of the rotation direction during the Ohmic phase, are also described in this work. It is seen that they are related to the Linear Ohmic Confinement (LOC) to Saturated Ohmic Confinement (SOC) regime changeover. This relation is supported through linear gyrokinetic simulations that show that the co- to counter- reversal coincides with a change from marginally electron to ion diamagnetic direction most unstable modes which is believed to play a role in the LOC to SOC explanation as well. Lower Hybrid Current Drive (LHCD) induced rotation is also described, including the first experimental observations of bi-directional rotation on a single tokamak. These observations help to explain differences in rotation seen among the various devices running lower hybrid. The LHCD rotation reverses direction as a function of plasma current, and this occurs in a similar parameter space as the Ohmic rotation reversal; it also has turbulence changes that are reminiscent of the Ohmic reversal as well. This suggests that LHCD is, in fact, causing the plasma to transition from the ITG dominated regime to the TEM dominated regime, which explains the rotation differences. These experiments and models provide new tools to understand rotation transport and generation in tokamaks.

Driven Rotation, Self-Generated Flow, and Momentum Transport in Tokamak Plasmas

Driven Rotation, Self-Generated Flow, and Momentum Transport in Tokamak Plasmas
Author: John Rice
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 158
Release: 2022-01-13
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3030922669

This book provides a comprehensive look at the state of the art of externally driven and self-generated rotation as well as momentum transport in tokamak plasmas. In addition to recent developments, the book includes a review of rotation measurement techniques, measurements of directly and indirectly driven rotation, momentum sinks, self-generated flow, and momentum transport. These results are presented alongside summaries of prevailing theory and are compared to predictions, bringing together both experimental and theoretical perspectives for a broad look at the field. Both researchers and graduate students in the field of plasma physics will find this book to be a useful reference. Although there is an emphasis on tokamaks, a number of the concepts are also relevant to other configurations.

Turbulent Transport In Magnetized Plasmas (Second Edition)

Turbulent Transport In Magnetized Plasmas (Second Edition)
Author: C Wendell Horton, Jr
Publisher: #N/A
Total Pages: 522
Release: 2017-07-21
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9813225904

For a few seconds with large machines, scientists and engineers have now created the fusion power of the stars in the laboratory and at the same time find the rich range of complex turbulent electromagnetic waves that transport the plasma confinement systems. The turbulent transport mechanisms created in the laboratory are explained in detail in the second edition of 'Turbulent Transport in Magnetized Plasmas' by Professor Horton.The principles and properties of the major plasma confinement machines are explored with basic physics to the extent currently understood. For the observational laws that are not understood — the empirical confinement laws — offering challenges to the next generation of plasma students and researchers — are explained in detail. An example, is the confinement regime — called the 'I-mode' — currently a hot topic — is explored.Numerous important problems and puzzles for the next generation of plasma scientists are explained. There is growing demand for new simulation codes utilizing the massively parallel computers with MPI and GPU methods. When the 20 billion dollar ITER machine is tested in the 2020ies, new theories and faster/smarter computer simulations running in near real-time control systems will be used to control the burning hydrogen plasmas.

Modeling the Turbulent Momentum Transport in Tokamak Plasmas

Modeling the Turbulent Momentum Transport in Tokamak Plasmas
Author: Pierre Cottier
Publisher: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2014-04-01
Genre:
ISBN: 9783659411038

The magnetic confinement in tokamaks is for now the most advanced way towards energy production by nuclear fusion. Both theoretical and experimental studies showed that rotation generation can increase its performance by reducing the turbulent transport in tokamak plasmas. The rotation influence on the heat and particle fluxes is studied along with the angular momentum transport with the quasi-linear gyro-kinetic eigenvalue code QuaLiKiz. For this purpose, the QuaLiKiz code is modified in order to take the plasma rotation into account and compute the angular momentum flux. It is shown that QuaLiKiz framework is able to correctly predict the angular momentum flux including the ExB shear induced residual stress as well as the influence of rotation on the heat and particle fluxes. The different contributions to the turbulent momentum flux are studied and successfully compared against both non-linear gyro-kinetic simulations and experimental data.