Nonlinear saturation of kinetic ballooning modes by zonal fields in toroidal plasmas

Dong, G.; Bao, J.; Bhattacharjee, A.; Lin, Z.

doi:10.1063/1.5066583

Nonlinear saturation of kinetic ballooning modes by zonal fields in toroidal plasmas

Journal Article · Wed Jan 23 00:00:00 EST 2019 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5066583· OSTI ID:1510045

Dong, G. ^[1]; Bao, J. ^[2]; Bhattacharjee, A. ^[1]; ^[2]

Princeton Univ., Princeton, NJ (United States). Princeton Plasma Physics Lab
Univ. of California, Irvine, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy

Kinetic ballooning modes (KBMs) are widely believed to play a critical role in disruptive dynamics as well as turbulent transport in magnetic fusion and space plasmas. While the nonlinear evolution of the ballooning modes has been proposed as a mechanism for “detonation” in various scenarios such as the edge localized modes in tokamaks, the role of the kinetic effects in such nonlinear dynamics remains largely unexplored. In this study, global gyrokinetic simulation results of KBM nonlinear behavior are presented. Instead of the finite-time singularity predicted by ideal magnetohydrodynamic theory, the kinetic instability is shown to develop into an intermediate nonlinear regime of exponential growth, followed by a nonlinear saturation regulated by spontaneously generated zonal fields. In the intermediate nonlinear regime, rapid growth of localized current sheets, which can induce magnetic reconnection, is observed.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF); Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: DOE Office of Science; USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231; AC02-09CH11466; AC05-00OR22725; FG02-07ER54916

OSTI ID:: 1510045

Journal Information:: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 26; ISSN 1070-664X

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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