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Title: Linear gyrokinetic simulations of microinstabilities within the pedestal region of H-mode NSTX discharges in a highly shaped geometry

Journal Article · · Physics of Plasmas
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4954911· OSTI ID:1273406
 [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [3];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
  3. General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)

Linear (local) gyrokinetic predictions of edge microinstabilities in highly shaped, lithiated and non-lithiated NSTX discharges are reported using the gyrokinetic code GS2. Microtearing modes dominate the non-lithiated pedestal top. The stabilization of these modes at the lithiated pedestal top enables the electron temperature pedestal to extend further inwards, as observed experimentally. Kinetic ballooning modes are found to be unstable mainly at the mid-pedestal of both types of discharges, with un- stable trapped electron modes nearer the separatrix region. At electron wavelengths, ETG modes are found to be unstable from mid-pedestal outwards for ηe, exp ~2.2 with higher growth rates for the lithiated discharge. Near the separatrix, the critical temperature gradient for driving ETG modes is reduced in the presence of lithium, re ecting the reduction of the lithiated density gradients observed experimentally. A preliminary linear study in the edge of non-lithiated discharges shows that the equilibrium shaping alters the electrostatic modes stability, found more unstable at high plasma shaping.

Research Organization:
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Contributing Organization:
NSTX-U team
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-09CH11466
OSTI ID:
1273406
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1259972
Journal Information:
Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 23, Issue 6; ISSN 1070-664X
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 11 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Linear gyrokinetic simulations of microinstabilities within the pedestal region of H-mode NSTX discharges in a highly shaped geometry dataset January 2016
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Cited By (4)

Blob wakes in NSTX journal July 2019
Effects of divertor geometry on H-mode pedestal structure in attached and detached plasmas in the DIII-D tokamak journal July 2018
Linear gyrokinetic simulations of microinstabilities within the pedestal region of H-mode NSTX discharges in a highly shaped geometry dataset January 2016
Linear gyrokinetic simulations of microinstabilities within the pedestal region of H-mode NSTX discharges in a highly shaped geometry dataset January 2016

Figures / Tables (15)