Gyrokinetic simulation of internal kink modes
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Yamaguchi University, Tokiwadai 2557, Ube 755 (Japan)
- Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, P. O. Box 451, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States)
- Department of Physics, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90024 (United States)
Internal disruption in a tokamak has been simulated using a three-dimensional magneto-inductive gyrokinetic particle code. The code operates in both the standard gyrokinetic mode (total-{ital f} code) and the fully nonlinear characteristic mode ({delta}{ital f} code). The latter is a quiet low noise algorithm. The computational model represents a straight tokamak with periodic boundary conditions in the toroidal direction and a square cross section with perfectly conducting walls in the poloidal direction. The linear mode structure of an unstable {ital m}=1 (poloidal) and {ital n}=1 (toroidal) kinetic internal kink mode is clearly observed, especially in the {delta}{ital f} code. The width of the current layer around the {ital x}-point, where magnetic reconnection occurs, is found to be close to the collisionless electron skin depth, indicating the importance of electron inertia. Both codes give very similar nonlinear results, in which full reconnection in the Alfven time scale is observed along with the electrostatic potential structures created during this phase. The resulting {ital E}{times}{ital B} drift from the potential dominates the nonlinear phase after the full reconnection. {copyright} {ital 1995} {ital American} {ital Institute} {ital of} {ital Physics}.
- Research Organization:
- Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH03073
- OSTI ID:
- 124766
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 2, Issue 11; Other Information: PBD: Nov 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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