Energetically-consistent collisional gyrokinetics

Authors:  J. W. Burby, A. J. Brizard, and H. Qin


Abstract:  We present a formulation of collisional gyrokinetic theory with exact conservation laws for energy and canonical toroidal momentum. Collisions are accounted for by a nonlinear gyrokinetic Landau operator. Gyroaveraging and linearization do not destroy the operator's conservation properties. Just as in ordinary kinetic theory, the conservation laws for collisional gyrokinetic theory are selected by the limiting collisionless gyrokinetic theory.
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Submitted to:  Physics of Plasmas
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Download PPPL-5182  (pdf 1.9 MB 15 pp)
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