A plasma source driven predator-prey like mechanism as a potential cause of spiraling intermittencies in linear plasma devices
- Research Center Jülich GmbH, Institute for Energy and Climate Research—Plasma Physics, D-52425 Jülich (Germany)
- Department of Energy Engineering and Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603 (Japan)
- National Institute for Fusion Science, Toki 509-5292 (Japan)
- Physics Department, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Avda de la Universidad 30, 28911-Leganés, Madrid (Spain)
Three-dimensional global drift fluid simulations are carried out to analyze coherent plasma structures appearing in the NAGDIS-II linear device (nagoya divertor plasma Simulator-II). The numerical simulations reproduce several features of the intermittent spiraling structures observed, for instance, statistical properties, rotation frequency, and the frequency of plasma expulsion. The detailed inspection of the three-dimensional plasma dynamics allows to identify the key mechanism behind the formation of these intermittent events. The resistive coupling between electron pressure and parallel electric field in the plasma source region gives rise to a quasilinear predator-prey like dynamics where the axisymmetric mode represents the prey and the spiraling structure with low azimuthal mode number represents the predator. This interpretation is confirmed by a reduced one-dimensional quasilinear model derived on the basis of the findings in the full three-dimensional simulations. The dominant dynamics reveals certain similarities to the classical Lotka-Volterra cycle.
- OSTI ID:
- 22251986
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 21, Issue 3; Other Information: (c) 2014 Euratom; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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