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Title: On plasma rotation induced by waves in tokamaks

Journal Article · · Physics of Plasmas
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4823713· OSTI ID:22218497
; ;  [1];  [1];  [2]
  1. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States)
  2. Department of Modern Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China)

The momentum conservation for resonant wave-particle interactions, now proven rigorously and for general settings, is applied to explain in simple terms how tokamak plasma is spun up by the wave momentum perpendicular to the dc magnetic field. The perpendicular momentum is passed through resonant particles to the dc field and, giving rise to the radial electric field, is accumulated as a Poynting flux; the bulk plasma is then accelerated up to the electric drift velocity proportional to that flux, independently of collisions. The presence of this collisionless acceleration mechanism permits varying the ratio of the average kinetic momentum absorbed by the resonant-particle and bulk distributions depending on the orientation of the wave vector. Both toroidal and poloidal forces are calculated, and a fluid model is presented that yields the plasma velocity at equilibrium.

OSTI ID:
22218497
Journal Information:
Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 20, Issue 10; Other Information: (c) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English