Fixed boundary toroidal plasma equilibria with toroidal flows

Journal Article · Fri Apr 15 04:00:00 EDT 2016 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4947028· OSTI ID:22599130

Hu, Yanqiang ^[1]; Hu, Yemin; Xiang, Nong ^[1]

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1. Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031 (China)

The fixed boundary toroidal plasma equilibria with toroidal flows are investigated by solving the modified Grad-Shafranov equation numerically in the cylindrical coordinate system. For normal equilibrium configurations with geometry and profiles similar to usual tokamaks with no flow, it is found that the effect of flow is to lead to an outward shift of the magnetic flux surfaces, together with the profiles of pressure, and mass and current densities. The shifts could become significant when the toroidal flow Mach number exceeds 0.5. For non-conventional current profiles, even for the usual tokamak geometry, novel current reversal equilibrium configurations may result, sometimes with changed topology in the poloidal flux function. This change in the topology of plasma equilibrium can be attributed to the large toroidal flow. The computed results may correspond to situations of intense tangential injection during the low toroidal current phase in expected experimental situations.

• OSTI ID: 22599130
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 23; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
CURRENT DENSITY
CURRENTS
CYLINDRICAL CONFIGURATION
EQUILIBRIUM
GEOMETRY
GRAD-SHAFRANOV EQUATION
INJECTION
MACH NUMBER
MAGNETIC FLUX
MAGNETIC SURFACES
PLASMA
TOKAMAK DEVICES
TOPOLOGY