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Title: Nonlinear reconnecting edge localized modes in current-carrying plasmas

Abstract

Nonlinear edge localized modes in a tokamak are examined using global three-dimensional resistive magnetohydrodynamics simulations. Coherent current-carrying filament (ribbon-like) structures wrapped around the torus are nonlinearly formed due to nonaxisymmetric reconnecting current sheet instabilities, the so-called peeling-like edge localized modes. These fast growing modes saturate by breaking axisymmetric current layers isolated near the plasma edge and go through repetitive relaxation cycles by expelling current radially outward and relaxing it back. The local bidirectional fluctuation-induced electromotive force (emf) from the edge localized modes, the dynamo action, relaxes the axisymmetric current density and forms current holes near the edge. Furthermore, the three-dimensional coherent current-carrying filament structures (sometimes referred to as 3-D plasmoids) observed here should also have strong implications for solar and astrophysical reconnection.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Princeton Univ., Princeton, NJ (United States). Princeton Plasma Physics Lab.
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)
OSTI Identifier:
1367324
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1361900
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-09CHI1466; SC0010565; SC0012467
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 24; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; x-point geometry; instabilities; simulation

Citation Formats

Ebrahimi, F. Nonlinear reconnecting edge localized modes in current-carrying plasmas. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4983631.
Ebrahimi, F. Nonlinear reconnecting edge localized modes in current-carrying plasmas. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4983631
Ebrahimi, F. 2017. "Nonlinear reconnecting edge localized modes in current-carrying plasmas". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4983631. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1367324.
@article{osti_1367324,
title = {Nonlinear reconnecting edge localized modes in current-carrying plasmas},
author = {Ebrahimi, F.},
abstractNote = {Nonlinear edge localized modes in a tokamak are examined using global three-dimensional resistive magnetohydrodynamics simulations. Coherent current-carrying filament (ribbon-like) structures wrapped around the torus are nonlinearly formed due to nonaxisymmetric reconnecting current sheet instabilities, the so-called peeling-like edge localized modes. These fast growing modes saturate by breaking axisymmetric current layers isolated near the plasma edge and go through repetitive relaxation cycles by expelling current radially outward and relaxing it back. The local bidirectional fluctuation-induced electromotive force (emf) from the edge localized modes, the dynamo action, relaxes the axisymmetric current density and forms current holes near the edge. Furthermore, the three-dimensional coherent current-carrying filament structures (sometimes referred to as 3-D plasmoids) observed here should also have strong implications for solar and astrophysical reconnection.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4983631},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1367324}, journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
issn = {1070-664X},
number = 5,
volume = 24,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon May 22 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Mon May 22 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}

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Cited by: 20 works
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Works referenced in this record:

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Validation of extended magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the HIT-SI3 experiment using the NIMROD code
journal, December 2017


Plasma density injection and flow during coaxial helicity injection in a tokamak
journal, February 2018


Experimental investigation of coaxial-gun-formed plasmas injected into a background transverse magnetic field or plasma
journal, May 2018


Nonlinear saturation of kinetic ballooning modes by zonal fields in toroidal plasmas
journal, January 2019


Shattered pellet injection simulations with NIMROD
journal, April 2019


Effects of plasmoid formation on sawtooth process in a tokamak
journal, May 2019


Axisymmetric benchmarks of impurity dynamics in extended-magnetohydrodynamic simulations
journal, April 2019


3D two-temperature magnetohydrodynamic modeling of fast thermal quenches due to injected impurities in tokamaks
journal, November 2018


Formation of closed flux surfaces in spheromaks sustained by steady inductive helicity injection
journal, May 2019


The Interplay of Magnetically Dominated Turbulence and Magnetic Reconnection in Producing Nonthermal Particles
journal, November 2019