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/ equivalentd ln T/sub i/ /d ln n>>1, toroidal effects further destabilize the mode. 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:
- Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH03073
- OSTI ID:
- 6363378
- Journal Information:
- Phys. Fluids; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Fluids; (United States) Vol. 26:3; ISSN PFLDA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Electrostatic drift wave eigenmodes in tokamaks
Toroidal microinstability studies of high-temperature tokamaks
Related Subjects
700107 -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Instabilities
700108* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Wave Phenomena
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
ANNULAR SPACE
CONFIGURATION
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS
INSTABILITY
ION TEMPERATURE
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PLASMA
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA WAVES
SPACE
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
TOROIDAL CONFIGURATION