How fluctuations continue through an X point
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)
The structure of waves around a magnetic X point is analyzed. A paradox is noted, in which theory implies that waves cannot propagate along the field past an X point, but experiment shows that they do anyway. The paradox may arise from the theoretical ``eikonal in the perpendicular direction`` ansatz, in which waves follow field lines to lowest order. This paper demonstrates that waves can encounter a boundary layer in which this ansatz is violated. Such waves can propagate {ital around} the X-point region, thus avoiding the large wave number increase from magnetic shear, allowing them to correlate through such a region. This result has some unexpected implications concerning mode structure in the edge and scrape-off layer of a diverted tokamak, and possibly for the core as well. {copyright} {ital 1995} {ital American} {ital Institute} {ital of} {ital Physics}.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 124307
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 2, Issue 11; Other Information: PBD: Nov 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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