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Title: On the dynamics of turbulent transport near marginal stability

Abstract

A general methodology for describing the dynamics of transport near marginal stability is formulated. Marginal stability is a special case of the more general phenomenon of self-organized criticality. Simple, one field models of the dynamics of tokamak plasma self-organized criticality have been constructed, and include relevant features such as sheared mean flow and transport bifurcations. In such models, slow mode (i.e. large scale, low frequency transport events) correlation times determine the behavior of transport dynamics near marginal stability. To illustrate this, impulse response scaling exponents (z) and turbulent diffusivities (D) have been calculated for the minimal (Burgers) and sheared flow models. For the minimal model, z = 1 (indicating ballastic propagation) and D {approximately}(S{sub 0}{sup 2}){sup 1/3}, where S{sub 0}{sup 2} is the noise strength. With an identically structured noise spectrum and flow with shearing rate exceeding the ambient decorrelation rate for the largest scale transport events, diffusion is recovered with z = 2 and D {approximately} (S{sub 0}{sup 2}){sup 3/5}. This indicates a qualitative change in the dynamics, as well as a reduction in losses. These results are consistent with recent findings from {rho} scaling scans. Several tokamak transport experiments are suggested.

Authors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. California Univ., San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics|[General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)
  2. Princeton Univ., NJ (United States). Plasma Physics Lab.
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Princeton Univ., NJ (United States). Plasma Physics Lab.
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
33136
Report Number(s):
PPPL-3053
ON: DE95008706; TRN: 95:008994
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-76CH03073; FG03-88ER53275
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Mar 1995
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION; TOKAMAK DEVICES; TURBULENT FLOW; CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT; PLASMA INSTABILITY; CONFINEMENT TIME; DIFFUSION; PLASMA CONFINEMENT

Citation Formats

Diamond, P.H., and Hahm, T.S. On the dynamics of turbulent transport near marginal stability. United States: N. p., 1995. Web. doi:10.2172/33136.
Diamond, P.H., & Hahm, T.S. On the dynamics of turbulent transport near marginal stability. United States. doi:10.2172/33136.
Diamond, P.H., and Hahm, T.S. Wed . "On the dynamics of turbulent transport near marginal stability". United States. doi:10.2172/33136. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/33136.
@article{osti_33136,
title = {On the dynamics of turbulent transport near marginal stability},
author = {Diamond, P.H. and Hahm, T.S.},
abstractNote = {A general methodology for describing the dynamics of transport near marginal stability is formulated. Marginal stability is a special case of the more general phenomenon of self-organized criticality. Simple, one field models of the dynamics of tokamak plasma self-organized criticality have been constructed, and include relevant features such as sheared mean flow and transport bifurcations. In such models, slow mode (i.e. large scale, low frequency transport events) correlation times determine the behavior of transport dynamics near marginal stability. To illustrate this, impulse response scaling exponents (z) and turbulent diffusivities (D) have been calculated for the minimal (Burgers) and sheared flow models. For the minimal model, z = 1 (indicating ballastic propagation) and D {approximately}(S{sub 0}{sup 2}){sup 1/3}, where S{sub 0}{sup 2} is the noise strength. With an identically structured noise spectrum and flow with shearing rate exceeding the ambient decorrelation rate for the largest scale transport events, diffusion is recovered with z = 2 and D {approximately} (S{sub 0}{sup 2}){sup 3/5}. This indicates a qualitative change in the dynamics, as well as a reduction in losses. These results are consistent with recent findings from {rho} scaling scans. Several tokamak transport experiments are suggested.},
doi = {10.2172/33136},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1995},
month = {Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1995}
}

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  • A general methodology for describing the dynamics of transport near marginal stability is formulated. Marginal stability is a special case of the more general phenomenon of self-organized criticality. Simple, one field models of the dynamics of tokamak plasma self-organized criticality have been constructed, and include relevant features such as sheared mean flow and transport bifurcations. In such models, slow mode (i.e., large-scale, low-frequency transport events) correlation times determine the behavior of transport dynamics near marginal stability. To illustrate this, impulse response scaling exponents ({ital z}) and turbulent diffusivities ({ital D}) have been calculated for the minimal (Burgers`) and sheared flowmore » models. For the minimal model, {ital z}=1 (indicating ballistic propagation) and {ital D}{similar_to}({ital S}{sup 2}{sub 0}){sup 1/3}, where {ital S}{sup 2}{sub 0} is the noise strength. With an identically structured noise spectrum and flow with shearing rate exceeding the ambient decorrelation rate for the largest-scale transport events, diffusion is recovered with {ital z}=2 and {ital D}{similar_to}({ital S}{sup 2}{sub 0}){sup 3/5}. This indicates a qualitative change in the dynamics, as well as a reduction in losses. These results are consistent with recent findings from dimensionless scaling studies. Several tokamak transport experiments are suggested. {copyright} {ital 1995} {ital American} {ital Institute} {ital of} {ital Physics}.« less
  • The nonlinear dynamics of a linearly unstable mode in a driven kinetic system is investigated to determine scaling of the saturated fields near the instability threshold. To leading order, this problem reduces to solving an integral equation with a temporally nonlocal cubic term. This equation can exhibit a self-similar solution that blows up in a finite time. When the blow-up occurs, higher nonlinearities become important and the mode saturates due to plateau formation arising from particle trapping in the wave. Otherwise, the simplified equation gives a regular solution that leads to a different saturation scaling reflecting the closeness to themore » instability threshold.« less
  • The presence of large microturbulent transport, such as caused by ion-temperature-gradient-driven (ITG) fluctuations, tends to drive temperature profiles toward marginal (linear) stability over much of the minor cross-section. The possibility that some profiles may be submarginal (linearly stable) yet carry substantial turbulent flux is of particular interest: it affects the interpretation of experimental data, and may imply that linear analysis is inadequate for the accurate determination of stable (e.g., enhanced-reversed-shear) operating regimes. Submarginal profiles are intimately related to nonlinear instability mechanisms for the self-sustainment of turbulence even in the presence of eigenmodes that axe linearly stable. Such self-sustainment has beenmore » observed in a variety of computer simulations. In the present work, the following approaches to the analysis of submarginal transport and nonlinear self-sustainment are conceptually linked and exploited: exactly solvable statistical model problems; discrete {open_quotes}sand-pile{close_quotes} dynamics and self-organized criticality (SOC); bifurcation theory; and {open_quotes}nonlinear instability{close_quotes} mechanisms. A nontrivial yet solvable statistical advection model is constructed that emphasizes the importance of subcritical bifurcations to submarginal turbulent profiles. The SOC of discrete lattice automata is interpreted as a consequence of a kind of subcritical bifurcation, and the submarginal profiles of certain SOC models axe related to the subcritical dynamics of the solvable model. Drake`s recent reduced model for the nonlinear instability of collisional drift waves is shown to exhibit a subcritical Hopf bifurcation, lending support to the interpretation of the mechanism as a driver for self-sustained turbulence. An analogous bifurcation is sought for a simple model of ITG turbulence, and the universality of the nonlinear instability is addressed.« less
  • Insight into microturbulence and transport in tokamak plasmas is being sought using linear simulations of drift waves near the onset time of an internal transport barrier (ITB) on Alcator C-Mod. Microturbulence is likely generated by instabilities of drift waves and causes transport of heat and particles. This transport is studied because the containment of heat and particles is important for the achievement of practical nuclear fusion. We investigate nearness to marginal stability of ion-temperature-gradient (ITG) modes for conditions in the ITB region at the trigger time for ITB formation. Data from C-Mod, analyzed by TRANSP (a time-dependent transport analysis code),more » is read by the code TRXPL and made into input files for the parallel gyrokinetic model code GS2. Temperature and density gradients in these input files are modified to produce new input files. Results from these simulations show a weak ITG instability in the barrier region at the time of onset, above marginal stability; the normalized critical temperature gradient is 80% of the experimental temperature gradient. The growth rate increases linearly above the critical value, with the spectrum of ITG modes remaining parabolic up to a multiplicative factor of 2. The effect of varying density gradients is found to be much weaker and causes the fastest growing drift mode to change from ITG to trapped-electron mode character. Simulations were carried out on the NERSC [National Energy Research Supercomputer Center] IBM 6000 SP using 4 nodes, 16 processors per node. Predictive simulations were examined for converged instability after 10,000-50,000 time-steps in each case. Each simulation took approximately 30 minutes to complete on the IBM SP.« less