Generation of a magnetic island by edge turbulence in tokamak plasmas

Journal Article · Sun Mar 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4916580· OSTI ID:22408173

Poyé, A. ^[1]; Agullo, O.; Muraglia, M.; Benkadda, S.; Dubuit, N. ^[1]; Garbet, X. ^[2]; Sen, A. ^[3]

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1. Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, PIIM, UMR 7345, Marseille (France)
2. IRFM, CEA, St-Paul-Lez-Durance 13108 (France)
3. Institute for Plasma Research, Bhat, Gandhinagar 382428 (India)

We investigate, through extensive 3D magneto-hydro-dynamics numerical simulations, the nonlinear excitation of a large scale magnetic island and its dynamical properties due to the presence of small-scale turbulence. Turbulence is induced by a steep pressure gradient in the edge region [B. D. Scott, Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 49, S25 (2007)], close to the separatrix in tokamaks where there is an X-point magnetic configuration. We find that quasi-resonant localized interchange modes at the plasma edge can beat together and produce extended modes that transfer energy to the lowest order resonant surface in an inner stable zone and induce a seed magnetic island. The island width displays high frequency fluctuations that are associated with the fluctuating nature of the energy transfer process from the turbulence, while its mean size is controlled by the magnetic energy content of the turbulence.

• OSTI ID: 22408173
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 22, Issue 3; 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

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
EDGE LOCALIZED MODES
ENERGY TRANSFER
EXCITATION
MAGNETIC ISLANDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
PLASMA
PRESSURE GRADIENTS
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
TOKAMAK DEVICES
TURBULENCE