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Nonlinear studies of m = 1 modes in high-temperature plasmas

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7285262· OSTI ID:7285262
Nonlinear evolution of the m = 1 mode is examined in high-temperature plasmas where the mode is in the semi-collisional or collisionless regime. Unlike the resistive m = 1 mode, both the semi-collisional mode, with a very weak resistivity dependence, and the collisionless mode, driven by finite electron inertia, can be robustly unstable in today's large tokamaks. And unlike the finite-{Delta}{prime}(m {ge} 2) tearing modes, the nonlinear evolution of which is collisional, both the semi-collisional and collisionless m = 1 modes exhibit nonlinearly enhanced growth rates that far exceed their linear values, thus making their nonlinear evolution collisionless; this accelerated growth of a collisionless m = 1 mode may explain the fast sawtooth-crashes observed in large tokamaks.
Research Organization:
Texas Univ., Austin, TX (United States). Inst. for Fusion Studies
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
FG05-80ET53088
OSTI ID:
7285262
Report Number(s):
DOE/ET/53088-560; IFSR--560; ON: DE92019395
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English