Nonlinear simulation of toroidal Alfven eigenmode with microturbulence-induced radial diffusion

Journal Article · Sun May 15 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3574503· OSTI ID:21537863

Jianying, Lang; Guoyong, Fu ^[1]

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1. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States)

It is shown analytically and numerically that microturbulence-induced diffusivity can affect nonlinear saturation of energetic particle driven modes in the similar way as collisional pitch angle scattering does. Introducing a simple diffusion operator to the code, our numerical results have shown that a single toroidal Alfven eigenmode (TAE) can saturate at a steady state with sufficiently high diffusion rate. The calculated saturation level scales with the radial diffusion rate by the same scaling of pitch angle scattering. A criterion is derived to judge the importance of microturbulence-induced radial diffusion effect comparing to the collisional pitch angle scattering effect. According to the criterion, we find that the microturbulence-induced diffusion has a stronger effect than the Coulomb collision on the TAE saturation in present tokamak devices and future burning plasmas [International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)].

• OSTI ID: 21537863
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 18; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ALFVEN WAVES
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
DIFFUSION
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
INSTABILITY
ITER TOKAMAK
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA SIMULATION
SATURATION
SCATTERING
SIMULATION
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TOKAMAK DEVICES
TOKAMAK TYPE REACTORS
TURBULENCE