Geometrical Effects in Plasma Stability and Dynamics of Coherent Structures in the Divertor
Plasma dynamics in the divertor region is strongly affected by a variety of phenomena associated with the magnetic field geometry and the shape of the divertor plates. One of the most universal effects is the squeezing of a normal cross-section of a thin magnetic flux-tube on its way from the divertor plate to the main SOL. It leads to decoupling of the most unstable perturbations in the divertor legs from those in the main SOL. For perturbations on either side of the X-point, this effect can be cast as a boundary condition at some 'control surface' situated near the X-point. We discuss several boundary conditions proposed thus far and assess the influence of the magnetic field geometry on them. Another set of geometrical effects is related to the transformation of a flux-tube that occurs when it is displaced in such a way that its central magnetic field line coincides with some other field line, and the magnetic field is not perturbed. These flute-like displacements are of a particular interest for the low-beta edge plasmas. It turns out that this transformation may also lead to a considerable deformation of a flux-tube cross-section; in addition, the distance between plasma particles occupying the flux-tube may change significantly even if there is no parallel plasma motion. We present expressions describing aforementioned transformations for the general tokamak geometry and simplify them for the divertor region (using the proximity of the X-point). We also discuss the effects associated with the shape of the plasma-limiting surfaces, both those designed to intercept the plasma (like divertor plates and limiters) and those that can be hit in some 'abnormal' events, e.g., in the course of a radial motion of an isolated plasma filament. The orientation of the limiting surface with respect to the magnetic field affects the plasma dynamics via the sheath boundary conditions. One can enhance or suppress plasma instabilities in the divertor legs by tilting the divertor plate with respect to the poloidal magnetic field. We concentrate on the instabilities in the private flux region and provide stability criteria accounting for the real divertor geometry, going beyond the slab approximation used before.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 942014
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-JRNL-231035; CPPHEP; TRN: US0807507
- Journal Information:
- Contributions to Plasma Physics, Vol. 48, Issue 1-3; ISSN 0863-1042
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Innovative Divertor Development to Solve the Plasma Heat-Flux Problem
A two-dimensional ion kinetic model of the scrape-off layer of a diverted plasma with a private flux region