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A mechanism for the sawtooth collapse

Abstract

We have proposed a self-consistent picture of the sawtooth collapse according to which Kelvin-Helmholtz turbulence is responsible for rapid cross-field transport inside most of the hot spot. The K-H modes are driven by the sheared parallel flows which develop once localized sinks appear on the spot`s field lines. Localized and sudden sinking action is assumed to result from the enhancement of trapped electron mode turbulence/TEM outwards transport by large density and temperature gradients developing in the neigborhood of the X line; the latter are inherent to the transient magnetic configuration generated by the tearing precursor. The time-scales of the K-H dynamics are short compared to the collapse time: the tubulence level can then adjust instantaneously. TEM turbulence steeply decreases inwards of the X line; we have assumed, for convenience, that the sink, localized at the azimuthal angel(s) of the X point(s), decreases as r{sup 2}. The collapse mechanism does not concern the outer rim of the hot spot where the pitch of the helicoidal field lines is too close to unity and their period too large. This can be put in parallel with the observation that the sawtooth inversion radius is smaller than the radius of the q=1 magnetic surface  More>>
Publication Date:
Jul 01, 1993
Product Type:
Technical Report
Report Number:
Juel-2799
Reference Number:
SCA: 700340; 700310; PA: DEN-94:0F2344; EDB-94:049011; ERA-19:014057; NTS-94:018217; SN: 94001162661
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Jul 1993
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; TEXTOR TOKAMAK; SAWTOOTH OSCILLATIONS; CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT; MAGNETIC FLUX; FLUX DENSITY; HOT SPOTS; TRAPPED ELECTRONS; OSCILLATION MODES; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; 700340; 700310; PLASMA WAVES, OSCILLATIONS, AND INSTABILITIES; PLASMA CONFINEMENT
OSTI ID:
10131463
Research Organizations:
Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany). Inst. fuer Plasmaphysik; Association Euratom-Kernforschungsanlage Juelich GmbH (Germany)
Country of Origin:
Germany
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Journal ID: ISSN 0944-2952; Other: ON: DE94747513; TRN: DE94F2344
Availability:
OSTI; NTIS (US Sales Only); INIS
Submitting Site:
DEN
Size:
55 p.
Announcement Date:
Jul 04, 2005

Citation Formats

Rogister, A, and Ding, Li. A mechanism for the sawtooth collapse. Germany: N. p., 1993. Web.
Rogister, A, & Ding, Li. A mechanism for the sawtooth collapse. Germany.
Rogister, A, and Ding, Li. 1993. "A mechanism for the sawtooth collapse." Germany.
@misc{etde_10131463,
title = {A mechanism for the sawtooth collapse}
author = {Rogister, A, and Ding, Li}
abstractNote = {We have proposed a self-consistent picture of the sawtooth collapse according to which Kelvin-Helmholtz turbulence is responsible for rapid cross-field transport inside most of the hot spot. The K-H modes are driven by the sheared parallel flows which develop once localized sinks appear on the spot`s field lines. Localized and sudden sinking action is assumed to result from the enhancement of trapped electron mode turbulence/TEM outwards transport by large density and temperature gradients developing in the neigborhood of the X line; the latter are inherent to the transient magnetic configuration generated by the tearing precursor. The time-scales of the K-H dynamics are short compared to the collapse time: the tubulence level can then adjust instantaneously. TEM turbulence steeply decreases inwards of the X line; we have assumed, for convenience, that the sink, localized at the azimuthal angel(s) of the X point(s), decreases as r{sup 2}. The collapse mechanism does not concern the outer rim of the hot spot where the pitch of the helicoidal field lines is too close to unity and their period too large. This can be put in parallel with the observation that the sawtooth inversion radius is smaller than the radius of the q=1 magnetic surface (r{sub inv}/r{sub 1}{proportional_to}0.9 in TEXTOR). Cross-field and parallel transport are complementary; the latter vanishes on the spot`s magnetic axis ({rho}=0) and is maximum at the distance corresponding to the sawtooth inversion radius ({rho}=1), the divergence of the former is maximum at {rho}=0, decreases steadily outwards, vanishes for {rho}=1{radical}2, and has a negative minimum for {rho}=1. (orig.)}
place = {Germany}
year = {1993}
month = {Jul}
}