Saturated ideal kink/peeling formations described as three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic tokamak equilibrium states
Free boundary magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium states with spontaneous three dimensional deformations of the plasma-vacuum interface are computed for the first time. The structures obtained have the appearance of saturated ideal external kink/peeling modes. High edge pressure gradients yield toroidal mode number n = 1 corrugations for a high edge bootstrap current and larger n distortions when this current is small. Deformations in the plasma boundary region induce a nonaxisymmetric Pfirsch-Schlüter current driving a field-aligned current ribbon consistent with reported experimental observations. A variation in the 3D equilibrium confirms that the n = 1 mode is a kink/peeling structure. We surmise that our calculated equilibrium structures constitute a viable model for the edge harmonic oscillations and outer modes associated with a quiescent H-mode operation in shaped tokamak plasmas.
- OSTI ID:
- 22599105
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 23, Issue 4; Other Information: (c) 2016 EURATOM; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
MARS-Q modeling of kink-peeling instabilities in DIII-D QH-mode plasma
Stabilization of kink/peeling modes by coupled rotation and ion diamagnetic drift effects in quiescent H-mode plasmas in DIII-D and JT-60U