Ion-temperature-gradient instability in toroidal plasmas
The stability of the ion-temperature-gradient mode in a toroidal plasma is investigated. Using the ballooning-mode formalism, an ordinary difference-differential equation is derived which includes full kinetic effects. The equation is, then, examined in various limits where it reduces to an ordinary differential equation. Analytic and computational studies show that, for eta/sub i/ identical with d lnT/sub i//d lnn > 1, toroidal effects further destabilize the mode and, hence, the corresponding growth rates exceed those obtained from the slab calculations. However, it is also found that toroidal effects give rise to higher eta/sub i/ threshold compared to the slab case. Extensive numerical calculations over a wide range of parameters are carried out to delineate the regions of instability. It is concluded that the eta/sub i/ instability is of relevance to present-day beam heated tokamaks.
- Research Organization:
- Princeton Univ., NJ (USA). Plasma Physics Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-02-3073
- OSTI ID:
- 5404094
- Report Number(s):
- PPPL-1601
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
700107* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Instabilities
ANNULAR SPACE
BALLOONING INSTABILITY
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
CONFIGURATION
FINITE DIFFERENCE METHOD
INSTABILITY
ION TEMPERATURE
ITERATIVE METHODS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA MACROINSTABILITIES
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TOKAMAK DEVICES
TOROIDAL CONFIGURATION