The effect of sheared toroidal rotation on pressure driven magnetic islands in toroidal plasmas

Journal Article · Sun May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4952627· OSTI ID:22600088

Hegna, C. C. ^[1]

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1. Departments of Engineering Physics and Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States)

The impact of sheared toroidal rotation on the evolution of pressure driven magnetic islands in tokamak plasmas is investigated using a resistive magnetohydrodynamics model augmented by a neoclassical Ohm's law. Particular attention is paid to the asymptotic matching data as the Mercier indices are altered in the presence of sheared flow. Analysis of the nonlinear island Grad-Shafranov equation shows that sheared flows tend to amplify the stabilizing pressure/curvature contribution to pressure driven islands in toroidal tokamaks relative to the island bootstrap current contribution. As such, sheared toroidal rotation tends to reduce saturated magnetic island widths.

• OSTI ID: 22600088
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 23, Issue 5; Other Information: (c) 2016 Author(s); Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ASYMPTOTIC SOLUTIONS
BOOTSTRAP CURRENT
GRAD-SHAFRANOV EQUATION
MAGNETIC ISLANDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
NEOCLASSICAL TRANSPORT THEORY
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PLASMA
ROTATING PLASMA
SHEAR
TOKAMAK DEVICES