Global current profile effects on the evolution and saturation of magnetic islands

Journal Article · Fri Feb 15 00:00:00 EST 2013 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4791653· OSTI ID:22113413

Poye, A.; Agullo, O.; Benkadda, S. ^[1]; Smolyakov, A. ^[2]; Garbet, X. ^[3]

---

1. International Institute for Fusion Science-PIIM, Aix Marseille Universite-CNRS, Marseille 13397 (France)
2. Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Canada)
3. CEA, IRFM, F-13108 Saint Paul Lez Durance (France)

The nonlinear evolution of magnetic islands is investigated by means of numerical simulations. The growth and saturation of the island are shown to depend not only on asymptotic tearing mode stability parameter {Delta}{sup Prime} but also on the initial global current profile. Presence of the external current sheets leads to the formation of different island state for the same value of {Delta}{sup Prime }. It is found that the flow vorticity generated by the interacting current sheets is an important feature of nonlocal interactions and nonlocal effects in magnetic islands dynamics.

• OSTI ID: 22113413
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 20, Issue 2; Other Information: (c) 2013 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ASYMPTOTIC SOLUTIONS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
INTERACTIONS
MAGNETIC ISLANDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
PLASMA
PLASMA SIMULATION
SATURATION
STABILITY
TEARING INSTABILITY