[Table of Contents]

Plasma and Fusion Research

Volume 9, 3403077 (2014)

Regular Articles

Long-Term Landau-Fluid Simulation of Alfvén Eigenmode Instabilities
Donald A. SPONG
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
(Received 21 November 2013 / Accepted 28 March 2014 / Published 10 June 2014)

Abstract

An energetic particle Landau-fluid closure model (TAEFL) is applied to a case where both RSAE (Reversed Shear Alfvén Eigenmode) and TAE (Toroidal Alfvén Eigenmode) modes are destabilized by beam ions. The nonlinear evolution of the coupled modes are followed for about 104 Alfvén times under the simplifying assumptions that a density source is present that exactly balances the quasi-linear fast ion profile changes driven by the instabilities. Saturation is achieved via self-regulation/organization through zonal flows and currents. A quasi-stationary nonlinear state persists, which is characterized by repetitive predator-prey phenomena. As the mode grows, it drives zonal flows/currents, these quench its amplitude until the linear mode structure sets in again and grows, driving further zonal flows/currents, etc. This capability of following nonlinear fast ion-driven instabilities over longer time intervals (achieved here by using a higher order time-stepping method) is an important requirement for future integrated models of burning plasmas.

Keywords

energetic particle instability, Alfvén mode, integrated simulation, gyrofluid, nonlinear MHD, tokamak

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.9.3403077

Full Text

PDF format (1.3Mbytes) PDF Download

References

  • [1] B.J. Tobias, I.G. Classen, C.W. Domier, W.W. Heidbrink, N.C. Luhmann, R. Nazikian, H.K. Park, D.A. Spong and M.A. Van Zeeland, Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 075003 (2011).
  • [2] D.A. Spong, B.A. Carreras and C.L. Hedrick, Phys. Fluids B4, 3316 (1992).
  • [3] D.A. Spong, Nucl. Fusion 53, 053008 (2013).
  • [4] D.A. Spong, E.M. Bass, W. Deng, W.W. Heidbrink, Z. Lin, B. Tobias, M.A. Van Zeeland, M.E. Austin, C.W. Domier and N.C. Luhmann, Jr., Phys. Plasmas 19, 082511-1 (2012).
  • [5] D.A. Spong, B.A. Carreras and C.L. Hedrick, Phys. Plasmas 1, 1503 (1994).
  • [6] N. Mattor, Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 3419 (1997).
  • [7] G.W. Hammett and F.W. Perkins, Phys. Rev. Lett. 64, 3019 (1990).
  • [8] L. Chen and F. Zonca, Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 145002 (2012).
  • [9] L. Chen and F. Zonca, Phys. Plasmas 20, 055402 (2013).
  • [10] Y. Todo, H.L. Berk and B.N. Breizman, Nucl. Fusion 50, 084016 (2010).

This paper may be cited as follows:

Donald A. SPONG, Plasma Fusion Res. 9, 3403077 (2014).