Drift kinetic theory of alpha transport by tokamak perturbations
Abstract
We report that upcoming tokamak experiments fuelled with deuterium and tritium are expected to have large alpha particle populations. Such experiments motivate new attention to the theory of alpha particle confinement and transport. A key topic is the interaction of alpha particles with perturbations to the tokamak fields, including those from ripple and magnetohydrodynamic modes like Alfvén eigenmodes. These perturbations can transport alphas, leading to changed localization of alpha heating, loss of alpha power and damage to device walls. Alpha interaction with these perturbations is often studied with single-particle theory. In contrast, we derive a drift kinetic theory to calculate the alpha heat flux resulting from arbitrary perturbation frequency and periodicity (provided these can be studied drift kinetically). Novel features of the theory include the retention of a large effective collision frequency resulting from the resonant alpha collisional boundary layer, correlated interactions over many poloidal transits and finite orbit effects. Heat fluxes are considered for the example cases of ripple and the toroidal Alfvén eigenmode (TAE). The ripple heat flux is small. The TAE heat flux is significant and scales with the square of the perturbation amplitude, allowing the derivation of constraints on mode amplitude for avoidance of significant alphamore »
- Authors:
-
[1];
[2]
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Plasma Science and Fusion Center; Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ (United States)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Plasma Science and Fusion Center
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES); National Science Foundation (NSF); Institute for Advanced Study
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1850013
- Grant/Contract Number:
- FG02-91ER54109; DGE-1122374
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Plasma Physics
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 87; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 0022-3778
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; fusion plasma; plasma waves; plasma instabilities
Citation Formats
Tolman, Elizabeth A., and Catto, Peter J. Drift kinetic theory of alpha transport by tokamak perturbations. United States: N. p., 2021.
Web. doi:10.1017/s0022377820001671.
Tolman, Elizabeth A., & Catto, Peter J. Drift kinetic theory of alpha transport by tokamak perturbations. United States. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022377820001671
Tolman, Elizabeth A., and Catto, Peter J. Mon .
"Drift kinetic theory of alpha transport by tokamak perturbations". United States. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022377820001671. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1850013.
@article{osti_1850013,
title = {Drift kinetic theory of alpha transport by tokamak perturbations},
author = {Tolman, Elizabeth A. and Catto, Peter J.},
abstractNote = {We report that upcoming tokamak experiments fuelled with deuterium and tritium are expected to have large alpha particle populations. Such experiments motivate new attention to the theory of alpha particle confinement and transport. A key topic is the interaction of alpha particles with perturbations to the tokamak fields, including those from ripple and magnetohydrodynamic modes like Alfvén eigenmodes. These perturbations can transport alphas, leading to changed localization of alpha heating, loss of alpha power and damage to device walls. Alpha interaction with these perturbations is often studied with single-particle theory. In contrast, we derive a drift kinetic theory to calculate the alpha heat flux resulting from arbitrary perturbation frequency and periodicity (provided these can be studied drift kinetically). Novel features of the theory include the retention of a large effective collision frequency resulting from the resonant alpha collisional boundary layer, correlated interactions over many poloidal transits and finite orbit effects. Heat fluxes are considered for the example cases of ripple and the toroidal Alfvén eigenmode (TAE). The ripple heat flux is small. The TAE heat flux is significant and scales with the square of the perturbation amplitude, allowing the derivation of constraints on mode amplitude for avoidance of significant alpha depletion. A simple saturation condition suggests that TAEs in one upcoming experiment will not cause significant alpha transport via the mechanisms in this theory. However, saturation above the level suggested by the simple condition, but within numerical and experimental experience, which could be accompanied by the onset of stochasticity, could cause significant transport.},
doi = {10.1017/s0022377820001671},
journal = {Journal of Plasma Physics},
number = 2,
volume = 87,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 08 00:00:00 EST 2021},
month = {Mon Mar 08 00:00:00 EST 2021}
}
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