Nonlinear saturation of toroidal Alfven eigenmodes via ion compton scattering

Journal Article · Mon Jan 09 04:00:00 EST 1995 · Physical Review Letters; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.74.266· OSTI ID:6598449

Hahm, T S ^[1]; Chen, L ^[2]

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1. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, P. O. Box 451, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States)
2. Department of Physics, University of California, Irvine, California 92717 (United States)

The nonlinear interactions of high mode number toroidal Alfven eigenmodes (TAE), mediated via Compton scattering off the bulk ions, are investigated. It is shown that nonlinear /I[ital J][sub [perpendicular]] [times]/I[ital B][sub [perpendicular]] ponderomotive force produced by TAE's interaction drives sound-wave-like density fluctuation with low phase velocity which can resonantly interact with the bulk ion parallel motion. Consequently, fluctuation energy of TAE's is transferred to lower frequency and eventually absorbed by linearly stable TAE's near the lower shear Alfven continuum, leading to nonlinear saturation. An explicit expression for the saturated magnetic fluctuation amplitude is derived.

• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH03073
• OSTI ID: 6598449
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review Letters; (United States) Vol. 74:2; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700340* -- Plasma Waves
Oscillations
& Instabilities-- (1992-)
ALFVEN WAVES
AMPLITUDES
BASIC INTERACTIONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
COMPTON EFFECT
ELASTIC SCATTERING
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUATIONS
FLUCTUATIONS
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
INTERACTIONS
IONS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
RESONANCE
SATURATION
SCATTERING
SOUND WAVES
VARIATIONS