Tearing Mode Dynamics in Tokamak Plasmas

Tearing Mode Dynamics in Tokamak Plasmas PDF Author: Richard Fitzpatrick
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780750353670
Category : SCIENCE
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The development of humankind's ultimate energy source, nuclear fusion, has proceeded slowly but surely over the course of the last 60 years. This comprehensive book aims to outline a realistic, comprehensive, self-consistent, analytic theory of tearing mode dynamics in tokamak plasmas. It discusses a fluid theory of a highly magnetized plasma that treats the electrons and ions as independent fluids, and then proceeds to develop the theory of tearing modes, first approximating the geometry of a tokamak plasma as a periodic cylinder, but eventually considering the toroidal structure of real tokamak plasmas. This book also describes the stability of tearing modes, the saturation of such modes, and the evolution of their phase velocity due to interaction with other tearing modes, as well as the resistive vacuum vessel, and imperfections in the tokamak's magnetic field. This text will appeal to scientists and graduate students engaged in nuclear fusion research, and would make a useful reference for graduate plasma physics courses. Part of IOP Series in Plasma Physics.

Tearing Mode Dynamics in Tokamak Plasmas

Tearing Mode Dynamics in Tokamak Plasmas PDF Author: Richard Fitzpatrick
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780750353670
Category : SCIENCE
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
The development of humankind's ultimate energy source, nuclear fusion, has proceeded slowly but surely over the course of the last 60 years. This comprehensive book aims to outline a realistic, comprehensive, self-consistent, analytic theory of tearing mode dynamics in tokamak plasmas. It discusses a fluid theory of a highly magnetized plasma that treats the electrons and ions as independent fluids, and then proceeds to develop the theory of tearing modes, first approximating the geometry of a tokamak plasma as a periodic cylinder, but eventually considering the toroidal structure of real tokamak plasmas. This book also describes the stability of tearing modes, the saturation of such modes, and the evolution of their phase velocity due to interaction with other tearing modes, as well as the resistive vacuum vessel, and imperfections in the tokamak's magnetic field. This text will appeal to scientists and graduate students engaged in nuclear fusion research, and would make a useful reference for graduate plasma physics courses. Part of IOP Series in Plasma Physics.

Tearing Mode Dynamics in Tokamak Plasmas

Tearing Mode Dynamics in Tokamak Plasmas PDF Author: Nikolaos Vergos
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
One of the most problematic instabilities in tokamak plasmas is tearing modes; they are driven by current and pressure gradients, and involve a reconfiguration of the magnetic and velocity fields localized into a narrow region located at a resonant magnetic surface. While the equilibrium magnetic field lines are located on concentric nested toroidal flux surfaces, the instability creates magnetic islands in which field lines connect flux tubes together, allowing for a high radial heat transport, and, thus, resulting in a loss of confinement, and, potentially, disruptions. In order for the magnetic field lines to break and reconnect, we need to take into account the resistivity of the plasma and solve the resistive magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) equations. The analytical solution consists of a boundary layer analysis (asymptotic matching) and takes advantage of the small radial width of the region where the perturbations vary significantly. Indeed, ideal magnetohydrodynamics can be used everywhere except in that narrow region where the full resistive problem must be solved. This dissertation addresses two related problems in the study of resistive tearing modes, and their interactions with externally induced resonant magnetic perturbations (error-fields). First, an in-depth investigation of the bifurcated states of a rotating, quasi-cylindrical, tokamak plasma in the presence of a resonant error-field is performed, within the context of constant-[greek letter psi] resistive MHD theory. The response of the rotating plasma is studied in both the linear, and the nonlinear regime. In general, there is a "forbidden band" of tearing mode rotation frequencies that separates a branch of high-frequency solutions from a branch of low-frequency solutions. When a high-frequency solution crosses the upper boundary of the forbidden band there is a bifurcation to a low-frequency solution, and vice versa. Second, the analysis is extended to include the study of braking and locking of tearing mode rotation by the interaction of the mode with an error-field. It is found that this interaction can brake the plasma rotation, suppress magnetic island evolution and drive locked modes.

Theory of Tokamak Plasmas

Theory of Tokamak Plasmas PDF Author: R.B. White
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 1483293262
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 374

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Book Description
This is a graduate textbook on tokamak physics, designed to provide a basic introduction to plasma equilibrium, particle orbits, transport, and those ideal and resistive magnetohydrodynamic instabilities which dominate the behavior of a tokamak discharge, and to develop the mathematical methods necessary for their theoretical analysis.

Stability of Tearing Modes in Tokamak Plasmas

Stability of Tearing Modes in Tokamak Plasmas PDF Author: C.C. Hegna
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Plasma diffusion
Languages : en
Pages : 31

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Book Description


A Study of Tearing Modes Via Electron Cyclotron Emission from Tokamak Plasmas

A Study of Tearing Modes Via Electron Cyclotron Emission from Tokamak Plasmas PDF Author: Chuang Ren
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 170

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Book Description


A Study of Tearing Modes Via Electron Cyclotron Emission from Tokamak Plasmas

A Study of Tearing Modes Via Electron Cyclotron Emission from Tokamak Plasmas PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 79

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Book Description
This thesis studies several tearing mode problems from both theoretical and experimental points of view. A major part of this thesis is to demonstrate that Electron Cyclotron Emission (ECE) is an excellent diagnostic for studying an MHD mode structure and its properties in a tokamak plasma. It is shown that an MHD mode can be detected from the electron temperature fluctuations measured by ECE. The amplitude and phase profiles of the fluctuations contain detailed information about the mode structure. The ECE fluctuation phase profile indicates the magnetic island deformation due to the combination of sheared flow and viscosity. A model is presented to relate qualitatively the observed phase gradient to the local magnetic field, flow velocity shear and viscosity in a 2D slab geometry, using an ideal Ohm's law and the plasma momentum equation including flow and viscosity. Numerical solution of the resultant Grad-Shafranov-like equation describing the deformed island shows that the experimentally observed value of the phase gradient can be obtained under realistic parameters for the shear in the flow velocity and viscosity. A new approach to the tearing mode stability boundary and saturation level is also presented.

Turbulent Stabilization of the Tearing Mode in Tokamak Plasmas

Turbulent Stabilization of the Tearing Mode in Tokamak Plasmas PDF Author: E. Esarey
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 62

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Tearing Modes in Tokamak Plasmas with and Without Ion Beam Driven Currents

Tearing Modes in Tokamak Plasmas with and Without Ion Beam Driven Currents PDF Author: Carl Göran Schultz
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 268

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Stabilization of the Tearing Mode in Low Density Tokamak Plasmas by Turbulent Electron Diffusion

Stabilization of the Tearing Mode in Low Density Tokamak Plasmas by Turbulent Electron Diffusion PDF Author: E. Esarey
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 14

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Book Description


Stabilization of Neoclassical Tearing Modes in Tokamak Fusion Plasmas Via Extremum Seeking

Stabilization of Neoclassical Tearing Modes in Tokamak Fusion Plasmas Via Extremum Seeking PDF Author: William P. Wehner
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781109389906
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 76

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Book Description
The neoclassical tearing mode (NTM) instability produces magnetic islands in tokamak plasmas that can degrade confinement and lead to plasma disruptions. NTMs are driven by a lack of bootstrap current inside the magnetic island where the pressure profile is flattened. Suppression of these islands is necessary for sustained energy confinement and efficient operation in tokamak magnetic-fusion reactors. Compensating for the lack of bootstrap current by an Electron Cyclotron Current Drive (ECCD) has been proved experimentally as an effective method to stabilize NTMs. The effectiveness of this method is limited in practice by the uncertainties in the width of the island, the relative position between the island and the EC beam, and the EC power threshold for NTM stabilization. Heuristic Search and Suppress algorithms have been proposed and shown effective to improve the alignment of the EC beam with the island by just using an estimate of the island width. Making use of this estimate, a real-time, non-model-based, extremum-seeking optimization algorithm is proposed for EC beam steering and modulation in order to minimize the island-beam misalignment and the time (control energy) required for NTM stabilization. The efficiency of the proposed method is compared with traditional search and suppress algorithms. It is shown that the Extremum Seeking method has the potential of reducing NTM suppression times. In addition, it is shown that the Extremum Seeking method has the ability of modulating simultaneously other parameters beyond island-beam alignment that improve the effectiveness of the ECCD such as modulation duty-cycle and the phase mismatch between the ECCD and island O-point.