Gyrokinetic analysis and simulation of pedestals to identify the culprits for energy losses using ‘fingerprints’

Kotschenreuther, M.; Liu, X.; Hatch, D. R.; Mahajan, S.; Zheng, L.; Diallo, A.; Groebner, R.; Hillesheim, J. C.; Maggi, C. F.; Giroud, C.; Koechl, F.; Parail, V.; Saarelma, S.; Solano, E.; Chankin, A.

doi:10.1088/1741-4326/ab1fa2

Title: Gyrokinetic analysis and simulation of pedestals to identify the culprits for energy losses using ‘fingerprints’

Journal Article · 12 July 2019 · Nuclear Fusion

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/ab1fa2 · OSTI ID:1577624

Kotschenreuther, M.; Liu, X.;

; Mahajan, S.; Zheng, L.; Diallo, A.; Groebner, R.; Hillesheim, J. C.;

; Giroud, C.; Koechl, F.; Parail, V.; Saarelma, S.; Solano, E.;

Fusion performance in tokamaks hinges critically on the efficacy of the edge transport barrier (ETB) in suppressing energy losses. The new concept of 'fingerprints' is introduced to identify the instabilities that cause transport losses in the ETBs of many of today's experiments, from among widely posited candidates. Analysis of the gyrokinetic-Maxwell equations and gyrokinetic simulations of experiments reveals that each mode type produces characteristic ratios of transport in the various channels: density, heat, and impurities. This, together with experimental observations of transport in some channel or of the relative size of the driving sources of channels, can identify or determine the dominant modes causing energy transport. In multiple H-mode cases with edge-localized modes that are examined, these fingerprints indicate that magnetohydrodynamic (MHD)-like modes are apparently not the dominant agent of energy transport; rather, this role is played by micro-tearing modes (MTMs) and electron temperature gradient (ETG) modes, and furthermore, possibly by ion temperature gradient/trapped electron modes (ITG/TEM) on JET (Joint European Torus). MHD-like modes may dominate the electron particle losses. Fluctuation frequency can also be a vital means of identification, and is often closely related to the transport fingerprint. The analytical arguments unify and explain previously disparate experimental observations on multiple devices, including DIII-D, JET, and ASDEX-U. Detailed simulations of two DIII-D ETBs also demonstrate and corroborate this.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC); Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States); Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Contributing Organization:: the DIII-D TEAM; JET Contributors

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-09CH11466; FC02-04ER54698; FG02-04ER54742

OSTI ID:: 1577624

Journal Information:: Nuclear Fusion, Vol. 59, Issue 9; ISSN 0029-5515

Publisher:: IOP ScienceCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 68 works

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