Verification of a magnetic island in gyro-kinetics by comparison with analytic theory
- Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching (Germany)
- Theoretical Physics V, Department of Physics, Universitaet Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany D-95447 (Germany)
A rotating magnetic island is imposed in the gyrokinetic code GKW, when finite differences are used for the radial direction, in order to develop the predictions of analytic tearing mode theory and understand its limitations. The implementation is verified against analytics in sheared slab geometry with three numerical tests that are suggested as benchmark cases for every code that imposes a magnetic island. The convergence requirements to properly resolve physics around the island separatrix are investigated. In the slab geometry, at low magnetic shear, binormal flows inside the island can drive Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities which prevent the formation of the steady state for which the analytic theory is formulated.
- OSTI ID:
- 22408080
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 22, Issue 2; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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