Critical role of current-driven instabilities for ELMs in NSTX

Kleiner, Andreas; Ferraro, Nathaniel M.; Canal, G.; Diallo, Ahmed; Maingi, Rajesh

doi:10.1088/1741-4326/ac64b3

Title: Critical role of current-driven instabilities for ELMs in NSTX

Journal Article · Mon May 02 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Nuclear Fusion

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/ac64b3· OSTI ID:1869948

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^[1]; Canal, G. ^[2];

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Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
Univ. of Sao Paulo (Brazil)

The impact of different extended-magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) contributions on the stability thresholds of peeling-ballooning modes in ELMing and ELM-free plasmas in the spherical tokamak NSTX is investigated with the initial value code M3D-C1. We show that ELMing discharges in NSTX are limited by resistive current-driven peeling modes, whereas non-ELMing wide-pedestal H-mode discharges are located near the ideal pressure-driven ballooning threshold. It is demonstrated that extended-MHD can lead to more reliable edge stability predictions than existing ideal-MHD models. Resistive peeling-ballooning modes are found to exist well before the ideal stability threshold is met, and kink-peeling modes exhibit considerable sensitivity to plasma resistivity. Other effects not considered in ideal-MHD models affect PB modes in NSTX in a weaker way. Gyroviscous stress appears stabilizing such that the stability boundary lies closer to the experimental point. Equilibrium rotation can suppress ideal core modes and thus isolate edge modes. These results are important for the development of a predictive pedestal model for low-aspect ratio tokamaks.

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Research Organization:: Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231; AC02-09CH11466; FC02-04ER54698

OSTI ID:: 1869948

Journal Information:: Nuclear Fusion, Vol. 62, Issue 7; ISSN 0029-5515

Publisher:: IOP ScienceCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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