Gyrokinetic particle simulation of drift-compressional modes in dipole geometry

Journal Article · Fri Jul 15 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3605031· OSTI ID:22046868

Porazik, Peter; Zhihong, Lin ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, California 92697 (United States)

Gyrokinetic particle simulation of low frequency compressional modes has been developed using flux coordinates in the global magnetic dipole geometry. The compressional component is formulated in a scalar form of the parallel magnetic perturbation, and the gyro-averaging is performed explicitly in the configuration space. A reduced gyrokinetic model, in which the compressional perturbations are decoupled from the shear Alfven and electrostatic perturbations, has been implemented. Linear simulation results have been verified using a numerical Nyquist analysis of the dispersion relation in the slab limit. Global simulations of unstable drift-compressional modes in the dipole geometry with kinetic ions find that finite Larmor radius (FLR) effects reduce the linear growth rate significantly but change little the real frequency. Global eigenmode structures show that the modes are even along the equilibrium magnetic field and broadened by the FLR effects in the radial direction. Radial propagation away from the region of excitation is observed.

• OSTI ID: 22046868
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 18; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ALFVEN WAVES
DISPERSION RELATIONS
DISTURBANCES
EXCITATION
IONS
LARMOR RADIUS
MAGNETIC DIPOLES
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
PLASMA
PLASMA DRIFT
PLASMA SIMULATION
PLASMA WAVES
SHEAR