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Global fluid turbulence simulations in the scrape-off layer of a stellarator island divertor

Journal Article · · Journal of Plasma Physics

Isothermal fluid turbulence simulations have been performed in the edge and scrape-off layer (SOL) of an analytic stellarator configuration with an island divertor, thereby providing numerical insight into edge turbulence in regions around islands in a stellarator. The steady-state transport follows the a curvature drive that is inverse to the major radius ( $1/R$$ ) toward the outboard side, but large fluctuations are present throughout the island divertor region, with the average wavelength of similar size to the island width. The system exhibits a prominent $$m=2$$ , $$n=5$ mode, where m is the poloidal mode number and n is the toroidal mode number, although other modes are present. The amplitude and radial extent of the density fluctuations are similar throughout the edge and SOL, but can decrease near island O-points. The fluctuations exhibit a predominantly positive skewness on the outboard midplane, indicating blob-like perturbations for the transport into the outer SOL. It is determined that a point on the separatrix is generally more correlated with regions outside of the SOL than a nearby reference point which does not lie on the separatrix.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344
OSTI ID:
2339901
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 2375425
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-849204; 905900216; PII: S002237782400045X
Journal Information:
Journal of Plasma Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Plasma Physics Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 90; ISSN 0022-3778
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press (CUP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English

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