O. Février

Non-linear dynamics of compound sawteeth in tokamaks

Compound sawteeth is studied with the XTOR-2F code. Non-linear full 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations show that the plasma hot core is radially displaced and rotates during the partial crash, but is not fully expelled out of the q = 1 surface. Partial crashes occur when the radius of the q = 1 surface exceeds a critical value, at fixed poloidal beta. This critical value depends on the plasma elongation. The partial crash time is larger than the collapse time of an ordinary sawtooth, likely due to a weaker diamagnetic stabilization. This suggests that partial crashes result from a competition between destabilizing effects such as the q = 1 radius and diamagnetic stabilization.

Extended magneto-hydro-dynamic model for neoclassical tearing mode computations

A self-consistent fluid model for describing neoclassical tearing modes in global magneto-hydro-dynamic simulations is presented. It is illustrated by its application to a simple toroidal configuration unstable to the (2, 1) tearing mode. The island saturation is verified to increase with the bootstrap current fraction. New features that are specific to this model are evidenced, like the unsteady saturated state of the island, and its deformation to a droplet shape, when the magnetic Prandtl number is not too high. Synthetic diagnostics demonstrate that diamagnetic and neoclassical effects should have in this case a measurable impact on the signature of magnetic islands.

Bifurcation of magnetic island saturation controlled by plasma viscosity

Two nonlinear regimes, depending on the magnetic Prandtl number Prm, are identified for the magnetic islands described by resistive MHD equations. The frontier between these two regimes is sharp, and has the characteristics of a phase transition controlled by plasma viscosity. In the low Prm regime, a new form of the so-called flip instability, consisting of a sudden change in the island phase, is identified. Already known in the context of the forcing by external magnetic perturbations and localized current drive, it occurs spontaneously at low Prm. The main characteristics of this new structural instability are described. The low Prm regime is well described by the slab visco-resistive model in the linear phase, and is characterized by both a large saturation of the island and strong nonlinearly driven zonal flows (that do not significantly impact the island dynamics, however), while curvature physics strongly impacts the viscous regime.

Stabilization of a magnetic island by localized heating in a tokamak with stiff temperature profile

In tokamaks plasmas, turbulent transport is triggered above a threshold in the temperature gradient and leads to stiff profiles. This particularity, neglected so far in the problem of magnetic island stabilization by a localized heat source, is investigated analytically in this paper. We show that the efficiency of the stabilization is deeply modified compared to the previous estimates due to the strong dependence of the turbulence level on the additional heat source amplitude inside the island.

Filamentary velocity scaling validation in the TCV tokamak

A large database of reciprocating probe data from the edge plasma of TCV (Tokamak a Configuration Variable) is used to test the radial velocity scalings of filaments from analytical theory [Myra et al., Phys. Plasmas 13, 112502 (2006)]. The measured velocities are mainly scattered between zero and a maximum velocity which varies as a function of size and collisionality in agreement with the analytical scalings. The scatter is consistent with mechanisms that tend to slow the velocity of individual filaments. While the radial velocities were mainly clustered between 0.5 and 2 km/s, a minority reached outward velocities as high as 5 km/s or inward velocities as high as −4 km/s. Inward moving filaments are only observed in regions of high poloidal velocity shear in discharges with B × ∇B away from the X-point, a new finding. The filaments have diameters clustered between 3 and 11 mm, and normalized sizes a clustered between 0.3 and 1.1, such that most filaments populate the resistive-ballooning regime; therefore, most of the filaments in TCV have radial velocities with little or no dependence on collisionality. Improvements in cross-correlation techniques and conditional averaging techniques are discussed which reduce the sizes determined for the largest filaments, including those larger than the scrape-off layer.A large database of reciprocating probe data from the edge plasma of TCV (Tokamak a Configuration Variable) is used to test the radial velocity scalings of filaments from analytical theory [Myra et al., Phys. Plasmas 13, 112502 (2006)]. The measured velocities are mainly scattered between zero and a maximum velocity which varies as a function of size and collisionality in agreement with the analytical scalings. The scatter is consistent with mechanisms that tend to slow the velocity of individual filaments. While the radial velocities were mainly clustered between 0.5 and 2 km/s, a minority reached outward velocities as high as 5 km/s or inward velocities as high as −4 km/s. Inward moving filaments are only observed in regions of high poloidal velocity shear in discharges with B × ∇B away from the X-point, a new finding. The filaments have diameters clustered between 3 and 11 mm, and normalized ...

Bi-fluid and neoclassical effect on a Double-Tearing mode in Tore Supra

Tearing modes associated to hollow current profiles are prone to grow in moderate performance plasmas and often constrain the realization of non-inductive discharges in the Tore Supra tokamak, where long pulse duration is performed using Lower Hybrid waves for providing most of the plasma current. The prediction of MHD boundaries in such scenarios is complicated by the importance of diamagnetic effects, combined with curvature stabilization, which determine the stability of these modes. We show that diamagnetic effects, as well as neoclassical forces, are playing a key role in the linear and nonlinear regimes of Double-Tearing Modes on q = 5/3 and q = 2 in these experimental conditions. Detailed comparison with experimental measurements, combined with a scaling in plasma resistivity, give constraints about the experimental equilibrium. Resistive-Interchange Modes destabilized by diamagnetic rotation could also play a role in degrading the energy confinement in the negative magnetic shear region.