Energetic particle physics issues for three-dimensional toroidal configurations

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2008

OSTI ID:979113

Spong, Donald A ^[1]; Breizman, Boris ^[2]; Berry, Lee A ^[1]; David, Brower ^[3]; Deng, C. B. ^[3]; Osakabe, M. ^[4]; Todo, Yasushi ^[4]; Konies, Axel ^[5]

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1. ORNL
2. University of Texas
3. University of California
4. National Institute for Fusion Science, Toki, Japan
5. Max-Planck-Institute for Plasmaphysik, EURATOM-Association, Greifswald, Germany

Energetic particle physics issues are of significant interest in stellarators and rippled tokamaks. The existence and stability of shear Alfven (SA) modes in stellarators have been examined computationally through a sequence of continuum, discrete eigenmode and {delta}f calculations. Although 3D couplings greatly increase the number of available SA modes, many of these are continuum damped. By identifying the more viable modes good contact has been made with experimental observations of TAE instabilities on LHD. Sound-wave or parallel compressibility couplings can modify the Alfven spectrum at low frequencies and have been incorporated into the STELLGAP code. Regions with coupled SA-sound continua are found in frequency ranges on the HSX experiment where coherent mode activity is observed. Finally, symmetry breaking effects are studied in ITER, taking into account TF ripple, ferritic inserts and tritium blanket modules. Finite {beta} 3D equilibria are obtained, indicating that ripple is amplified within the plasma by the self-consistent currents over vacuum levels.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
• Sponsoring Organization: SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 979113
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
COMPRESSIBILITY
FREQUENCY RANGE
IAEA
PHYSICS
PLASMA
SHEAR
STABILITY
STELLARATORS
SYMMETRY BREAKING
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TOROIDAL CONFIGURATION
TRITIUM