Electron cyclotron current drive efficiency in general tokamak geometry

Green's-function techniques are used to calculate electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) efficiency in general tokamak geometry in the low-collisionality regime. Fully relativistic electron dynamics is employed in the theoretical formulation. The high-velocity collision model is used to model Coulomb collisions and a simplified quasi-linear rf diffusion operator describes wave-particle interactions. The approximate analytic solutions which are benchmarked with a widely used ECCD model, facilitate time-dependent simulations of tokamak operational scenarios using the non-inductive current drive of electron cyclotron waves

Dynamics of axisymmetric E x B and poloidal flows in tokamaks

As a result of turbulence and finite Larmor radius effects, random radial currents are present in a tokamak plasma, and these drive sheared axisymmetric poloidal flows. The authors model these currents with a noise source with given statistical properties and calculate the linear kinetic response to this source. Without collisions, there is no long term damping of these flows; when collisions are included, poloidal flows are damped. The mean square potential associated with these flows is given in terms of the linear response function they calculate and a model correlation function for the current source. Without collisions, the mean square E {times} B flow increases linearly with time, but with collisions, it reaches a steady state. In the long correlation time limit, the collisionless residual flows are important in determining the mean square E {times} B flow

SciDAC - Center for Plasma Edge Simulation - General Atomics Support of NYU Collaborations

Methods for implementing Coulomb collisions in particle codes were studied and developed. At first, a lattice-Boltzmann method seemed promising. After considering this in more detail, it was found not to be efficient enough. A method was then sought for implementing collisional effects as changes in particle weights, instead of changes in velocities. Although this may eventually be done, it was decided that a Langevin method would be more straightforward to develop, since it was possible to build on previous work. The rest of the contract period was spent developing the Langevin method, which ultimately resulted in a published paper, in April 2008 [F.L. Hinton, Phys. Plasma 15, 042501 (2008)]

SciDAC - Center for Plasma Edge Simulation - General Atomics Support of NYU Collaborations

Methods for implementing Coulomb collisions in particle codes were studied and developed. At first, a lattice-Boltzmann method seemed promising. After considering this in more detail, it was found not to be efficient enough. A method was then sought for implementing collisional effects as changes in particle weights, instead of changes in velocities. Although this may eventually be done, it was decided that a Langevin method would be more straightforward to develop, since it was possible to build on previous work. The rest of the contract period was spent developing the Langevin method, which ultimately resulted in a published paper, in April 2008 [F.L. Hinton, Phys. Plasma 15, 042501 (2008)]

Designing a VH-mode core/L-mode edge discharge

An operating mode with a very high confinement core like the VH-mode but a very low power flow to the divertor plates and low edge particle confinement like an L-mode would be beneficial. For a large tokamak like the proposed ITER, the power density at the separatrix is not that far above the scaled H-mode power threshold so not much of the power can be radiated inside of the separatrix without causing a return to L-mode. The thicker scrape-off layer of an L-mode increases the radiating volume of the scrape-off layer and helps shield impurities from the core. This is especially important if the first wall is metallic. In this paper an H-mode transport model based on E x B velocity shear suppression of turbulence will be used to show that it is possible to have a strongly radiating mantle near the separatrix, which keeps the edge in L-mode, while having a VH-mode core with a broad region of suppressed turbulence. The existing results of enhanced L-mode confinement during impurity injection on a number of tokamaks will be surveyed. The operating conditions which will most likely result in the further improvement of the core confinement by control of the heating, fueling, and torque profiles will be identified