Vortices associated with toroidal ion-temperature-gradient-driven fluctuations

Journal Article · Thu Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992 · Physics of Fluids B; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.860388· OSTI ID:6985286

Horton, W ^[1]; Jovanovic, D ^[2]; Rasmussen, J J ^[3]

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1. Institute for Fusion Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States)
2. Institute of Physics, P.O. Box 57, Yu-11001 Belgrade (Yugoslavia)
3. Association EURATOM, Riso National Laboratory, P.O. Box 49, Dk-4000 Roskilde (Denmark)

The three nonlinear hydrodynamic equations for potential, parallel ion velocity and ion pressure used in simulations of the toroidal ion-temperature-gradient-driven fluctuations and transport in a shear magnetic field are analyzed for coherent vortex structures. Two types of vortex structures are found: one type for weak shear that is a generalization of the usual modon vortex construction and the second type of solution for strong magnetic shear where the convective nonlinearity in the parallel velocity field generates a cubic trapping nonlinearity in the vorticity equation. These vortex structures show the possibility of explaining the saturated states observed in the numerical simulations as self-organized nonlinear states in contrast to wave turbulence.

• OSTI ID: 6985286
• Journal Information: Physics of Fluids B; (United States), Journal Name: Physics of Fluids B; (United States) Vol. 4:10; ISSN 0899-8221; ISSN PFBPE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700340* -- Plasma Waves
Oscillations
& Instabilities-- (1992-)
ANNULAR SPACE
CLOSED CONFIGURATIONS
CONFIGURATION
FLUCTUATIONS
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MECHANICS
PLASMA WAVES
SPACE
TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
TOROIDAL CONFIGURATION
TRANSPORT THEORY
VARIATIONS
VORTICES