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Title: Three-dimensional plasmoid-mediated reconnection and the effect of toroidal guide field in simulations of coaxial helicity injection

Abstract

Physics of three-dimensional plasmoid-mediated magnetic reconnection during transient Coaxial Helicity Injection (CHI) plasma start-up is investigated using nonlinear MHD simulations in a spherical tokamak. We numerically examine (i) the role of three-dimensional magnetic fluctuations arising from current-sheet instabilities on the formation of plasmoid-mediated closed flux surfaces, and (ii) the effect of toroidal guide field on the MHD stability during transient CHI. We find that even in the presence of nonaxisymmetric edge magnetic fluctuations, current-carrying axisymmetric (n = 0) plasmoids are rapidly formed while twisted open field lines are being injected and are merged to form a large current-carrying magnetic bubble for plasma startup in a tokamak. It is also found that the 3-D physics response is drastically different for simulations at a higher toroidal field, and complete stabilization of nonaxisymmetric fluctuations was achieved at a higher toroidal flux.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]
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  1. Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC); Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)
OSTI Identifier:
1577594
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1560254; OSTI ID: 1595780; OSTI ID: 1777871
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-09CH11466; SC0010565
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 26; Journal Issue: 9; Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; Magnetic reconnection; Magnetohydrodynamics; Magnetospheric plasmas; Dynamical systems; Solar corona; Electric currents; Computational physics; Plasma confinement; Fusion reactors; Tokamaks

Citation Formats

Ebrahimi, F. Three-dimensional plasmoid-mediated reconnection and the effect of toroidal guide field in simulations of coaxial helicity injection. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1063/1.5098482.
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Ebrahimi, F. Three-dimensional plasmoid-mediated reconnection and the effect of toroidal guide field in simulations of coaxial helicity injection. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5098482
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Ebrahimi, F. Tue . "Three-dimensional plasmoid-mediated reconnection and the effect of toroidal guide field in simulations of coaxial helicity injection". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5098482. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1577594.
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@article{osti_1577594,
title = {Three-dimensional plasmoid-mediated reconnection and the effect of toroidal guide field in simulations of coaxial helicity injection},
author = {Ebrahimi, F.},
abstractNote = {Physics of three-dimensional plasmoid-mediated magnetic reconnection during transient Coaxial Helicity Injection (CHI) plasma start-up is investigated using nonlinear MHD simulations in a spherical tokamak. We numerically examine (i) the role of three-dimensional magnetic fluctuations arising from current-sheet instabilities on the formation of plasmoid-mediated closed flux surfaces, and (ii) the effect of toroidal guide field on the MHD stability during transient CHI. We find that even in the presence of nonaxisymmetric edge magnetic fluctuations, current-carrying axisymmetric (n = 0) plasmoids are rapidly formed while twisted open field lines are being injected and are merged to form a large current-carrying magnetic bubble for plasma startup in a tokamak. It is also found that the 3-D physics response is drastically different for simulations at a higher toroidal field, and complete stabilization of nonaxisymmetric fluctuations was achieved at a higher toroidal flux.},
doi = {10.1063/1.5098482},
journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
number = 9,
volume = 26,
place = {United States},
year = {2019},
month = {9}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5098482
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