Gyrokinetic Simulation of Global Turbulent Transport Properties in Tokamak Experiments
Authors: W.X. Wang, Z. Lin, W.M. Tang, W.W. Lee, S. Ethier, J.L.V. Lewandowski, G. Rewoldt, T.S. Hahm, and J. Manickam
Abstract:
A general geometry gyrokinetic model for particle simulation of plasma turbulence in tokamak experiments is described. It incorporates the comprehensive influence of non-circular cross section, realistic plasma profiles, plasma rotation, neoclassical (equilibrium) electric fields, and Coulomb collisions. An interesting result of global turbulence development in a shaped tokamak plasma is presented with regard to nonlinear turbulence spreading into the linearly stable region. The mutual interaction between turbulence and zonal flows in collisionless plasmas is studied with a focus on identifying possible nonlinear saturation mechanisms for zonal flows. A bursting temporal behavior with a period longer than the geodesic acoustic oscillation period is observed even in a collisionless system. Our simulation results suggest that the zonal flows can drive turbulence. However, this process is too weak to be an effective zonal flow saturation mechanism.
Date of PPPL Report: January 2006
Published in: Phys of Plas 13, 092505 (Sept 2006)
doi: 10.1063/1.2338775
© (2006) American Institute of Physics.
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