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Final Report for Center for Tokamak Transient Simulations at USU

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/2322343· OSTI ID:2322343
 [1];  [2];  [2]
  1. Utah State Univ., Logan, UT (United States); Utah State University
  2. Utah State Univ., Logan, UT (United States)

Providing plasma fluid codes like NIMROD with continuum drift kinetic (CDK) physics that is quantitatively valid and computationally feasible throughout the spatial domain is difficult. Work at Utah State University (USU), in collaboration with the Center for Tokamak Transient Simulations (CTTS), focused on applying CDK closures in disruption-related calculations. Three examples where kinetic physics is paramount are (1) the electron stress tensor closure in Ohms law for accurately describing neoclassical tearing mode (NTM) evolution, (2) runaway electron (RE) density (nRE) and current (jRE) moments in NIMROD’s extended MHD model for self-consistent evolution of RE populations during disruptions and, (3) energetic ion effects on a myriad of MHD instabilities. While NTM simulations and continuum and PIC approaches to energetic ions in NIMROD have been a major goals of USU’s closure work for several years, the development of self-consistent CDK RE capability in NIMROD was started and extended considerably during the CTTS effort. Some goals of CDK RE in NIMROD are to explore the effects of the 2D relativistic phase space in 4D simulations and compare with NIMROD’s fluid RE model. Four publications and two PhD theses came out of the USU CTTS effort.

Research Organization:
Utah State Univ., Logan, UT (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)
DOE Contract Number:
SC0018146
OSTI ID:
2322343
Report Number(s):
DOE-USU--0018146; DE-FOA-0002414
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English