Nonlinear theory of drift-cyclotron kinetics and the possible breakdown of gyro-kinetics
- General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608 (United States)
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)
A nonlinear theory of drift-cyclotron kinetics (termed cyclo-kinetics here) is formulated to test the breakdown of the gyro-kinetic approximations. Six dimensional cyclo-kinetics can be regarded as an extension of five dimensional gyro-kinetics to include high-frequency cyclotron waves, which can interrupt the low-frequency gyro-averaging in the (sixth velocity grid) gyro-phase angle. Nonlinear cyclo-kinetics has no limit on the amplitude of the perturbations. Formally, there is no gyro-averaging when all cyclotron (gyro-phase angle) harmonics of the perturbed distribution function (delta-f) are retained. Retaining only the (low frequency) zeroth cyclotron harmonic in cyclo-kinetics recovers both linear and nonlinear gyro-kinetics. Simple recipes are given for converting continuum nonlinear delta-f gyro-kinetic transport simulation codes to cyclo-kinetics codes by retaining (at least some) higher cyclotron harmonics.
- OSTI ID:
- 22113353
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 20; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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