RF effects on neoclassical theory and the bootstrap current in tokamaks

Journal Article · Tue Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1997 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.53346· OSTI ID:580275

Schultz, S D; Bers, A; Ram, A K ^[1]

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1. Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)

We consider the possibility of synergistic effects in combining bootstrap and RF current drive in tokamaks [1]. In neoclassical theory, the bootstrap current is derived from an electron velocity-space distribution satisfying the drift kinetic equation (DKE), with radial drifts due to magnetic field gradient and curvature. Numerical solutions to the DKE are found with KT3D-NC, a Fokker-Planck code with quasilinear diffusion [2] which calculates perturbations to the electron distribution due to the drift term of the DKE. The resulting bootstrap current is then found by taking the parallel velocity-space moment of the RF-modified electron distribution. A quasilinear diffusion operator is chosen to represent several RF wave scenarios (lower hybrid, fast Alfv{acute e}n waves, electron cyclotron). The numerical results are compared to analytic solutions using several approximate techniques. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}

• Research Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-91ER54109
• OSTI ID: 580275
• Report Number(s): CONF-9704102--
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 403; ISSN 0094-243X; ISSN APCPCS
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
BOOTSTRAP CURRENT
COMPUTER CODES
FOKKER-PLANCK EQUATION
NEOCLASSICAL TRANSPORT THEORY
NON-INDUCTIVE CURRENT DRIVE
TOKAMAK DEVICES