Mechanism of Radial Redistribution of Energetic Trapped Ions Due to m=2/n=1 Internal Reconnection in Joint European Torus Shear Optimized Plasmas
Authors: N.N. Gorelenkov, A. Gondhalekar, A.A. Korotkov, S.E. Sharapov, D. Testa, and Contributors to the EFDA-JET Workprogramme
Date of PPPL Report: January 2002
Published in: Phys. of Plasmas 10 No. 3 (March 2003) 713-725
Internal radial redistribution of MeV energy ICRF-driven hydrogen minority ions was inferred from neutral particle analyzer measurements during large amplitude MHD activity leading to internal reconnection in Shear Optimized plasmas in the Joint European Torus (JET). A theory is developed for energetic ion redistribution during a reconnection driven by an m=2/n=1 internal kink mode. Plasma motion during reconnection generates an electric field which can change the energy and radial position of the energetic ions. The magnitude of ion energy change depends on the value of the safety factor at the plasma core from which the energetic ions are redistributed. A relation is found for corresponding change in canonical momentum. Pf, which leads to radial displacement of the ions. The model yields distinctive new features of energetic ion redistribution under such conditions. Predicted characteristics of ion redistribution are compared with the NPA measurements, and good correlation is found.
Sometimes fast ions were transported to the plasma edge due to interaction with a long-lived magnetic island which developed after the reconnection and had chirping frequency in the laboratory frame. Convection of resonant ions trapped in a radially moving phase-space island is modeled to understand the physics of such events.