Nonlinear dynamics of the reversed shear Alfvén eigenmode in burning plasmas

In a tokamak fusion reactor operated at steady state,the equilibrium magnetic field is likely to have reversed shear in the core region,as the noninductive bootstrap current profile generally peaks off-axis.The reversed shear Alfvén eigenmode(RSAE)as a unique branch of the shear Alfvén wave in this equilibrium,can exist with a broad spectrum in wavenumber and frequency,and be resonantly driven unstable by energetic particles(EP).After briefly discussing the RSAE linear properties in burning plasma condition,we review several key topics of the nonlinear dynamics for the RSAE through both wave-EP resonance and wave-wave coupling channels,and illustrate their potentially important role in reactor-scale fusion plasmas.By means of simplified hybrid MHD-kinetic simulations,the RSAEs are shown to have typically broad phase space resonance structure with both circulating and trapped EP,as results of weak/vanishing magnetic shear and relatively low frequency.Through the route of wave-EP nonlinearity,the dominant saturation mechanism is mainly due to the transported resonant EP radially decoupling with the localized RSAE mode structure,and the resultant EP transport generally has a convective feature.The saturated RSAEs also undergo various nonlinear couplings with other collective oscillations.Two typical routes as parametric decay and modulational instability are studied using nonlinear gyrokinetic theory,and applied to the scenario of spontaneous excitation by a finite amplitude pump RSAE.Multiple RSAEs could naturally couple and induce the spectral energy cascade into a low frequency Alfvénic mode,which may effectively transfer the EP energy to fuel ions via collisionless Landau damping.Moreover,zero frequency zonal field structure could be spontaneously excited by modulation of the pump RSAE envelope,and may also lead to saturation of the pump RSAE by both scattering into stable domain and local distortion of the continuum structure.

Numerical simulation of the multiple reversed shear Alfvén eigenmodes associated with the triangularity Alfvén gap

It was found that there are multiplicity of low shear toroidicity-induced Alfv′en eigenmodes in a zero beta limit if the inverse aspect ratio is larger than the magnetic shear at the mode location(Candy 1996 Phys. Lett. A 215 299). Because the reversed shear Alfv′en eigenmode(RSAE) and even the RSAE associated with the non-circular triangularity-induced Alfv′en eigenmode(NAE) gap(NAE–RSAE) usually reside near the shear-reversal point, the condition that the inverse aspect ratio is larger than the magnetic shear is naturally satisfied. For this reason, we numerically investigate the existence of multiplicity of core-localized NAE–RSAEs and mode characteristics in the present work. We firstly verify the existence of the multiplicity for zero beta plasma by using a D-shaped equilibrium. It is pointed out that, for a given toroidal mode number, the Alfv′en cascade spectrum accommodates down-sweeping and up-sweeping modes above and below the NAE range of frequencies. An analytical model for the existence of multiple RSAE modes is in good agreement with the simulation results. One notices that the triangularity has a greater effect on the odd-type modes than that on the even-type modes: the odd-type modes come into existence because of the plasma triangularity.

Mode structure symmetry breaking of reversed shear Alfvén eigenmodes and its impact on the generation of parallel velocity asymmetries in energetic particle distribution

In this work,the gyrokinetic eigenvalue code LIGKA,the drift-kinetic/MHD hybrid code HMGC and the gyrokinetic full-f code TRIMEG-GKX are employed to study the mode structure details of reversed shear Alfvén eigenmodes(RSAEs).Using the parameters from an ASDEXUpgrade plasma,a benchmark with the three different physical models for RSAE without and with energetic particles(EPs)is carried out.Reasonable agreement has been found for the mode frequency and the growth rate.Mode structure symmetry breaking(MSSB)is observed when EPs are included,due to the EPs’non-perturbative effects.It is found that the MSSB properties are featured by a finite radial wave phase velocity,and the linear mode structure can be well described by an analytical complex Gaussian expressionФ(s)=e^(-σ(s-s_(0))^(2))with complex parametersσand s_(0),where s is the normalized radial coordinate.The mode structure is distorted in opposite manners when the EP drive shifted from one side of qminto the other side,and specifically,a non-zero average radial wave number with opposite signs is generated.The initial EP density profiles and the corresponding mode structures have been used as the input of HAGIS code to study the EP transport.The parallel velocity of EPs is generated in opposite directions,due to different values of the average radial wave number,corresponding to different initial EP density profiles with EP drive shifted away from the qmin.

Linear gyrokinetic simulations of reversed shear Alfvén eigenmodes and ion temperature gradient modes in DIII-D tokamak

Global linear gyrokinetic simulations using realistic DIII-D tokamak geometry and plasma profiles find co-existence of unstable reversed shear Alfvén eigenmodes(RSAE)with low toroidal mode number n and electromagnetic ion temperature gradient(ITG)instabilities with higher toroidal mode number n.For intermediate n?=?[10,12],RSAE and ITG co-exist and overlap weakly in the radial domain with similar growth rates but different real frequencies.Both RSAE and ITG growth rates decrease less than 5%when compressible magnetic perturbations are neglected in the simulations.The ITG growth rates increase less than 7%when fast ions are not included in the simulations.Finally,the effects of trapped electrons on the RSAE are negligible.

Nonlinear excitation of a geodesic acoustic mode by reversed shear Alfvén eignemodes

The parametric decay process of a reversed shear Alfvén eigenmeode(RSAE)into a geodesic acoustic mode and a kinetic RSAE is investigated using nonlinear gyrokinetic theory.The excitation conditions mainly require the pump RSAE amplitude to exceed a certain threshold,which could be readily satisfied in burning plasmas operated in steady-state advanced scenario.This decay process can contribute to thermal plasma heating and confinement improvement.

Preliminary computation of the gap eigenmode of shear Alfvén waves on the LAPD

Characterizing the gap eigenmode of shear Alfv′en waves(SAWs) and its interaction with energetic ions is important to the success of magnetically confined fusion. Previous studies have reported an experimental observation of the spectral gap of SAW on the on Large Plasma Device(LAPD)(Zhang et al. 2008 Phys. Plasmas 15 012103), a linear large plasma device(Gekelman et al. 1991 Rev. Sci. Instrum. 62 2875) possessing easier diagnostic access and lower cost compared with traditional fusion devices, and analytical theory and numerical gap eigenmode using ideal conditions(Chang 2014 Ph.D Thesis at Australian National University). To guide experimental implementation, the present work models the gap eigenmode of SAWs using exact LAPD parameters. A full picture of the wave field for previous experiment reveals that the previously observed spectral gap is not global but an axially local result. To form a global spectral gap, the number of magnetic mirrors has to be increased and stronger static magnetic field makes it clearer. Such a spectral gap is obtained for the magnetic field of B0(z) = 1.2 + 0.6 cos[2π(z-33.68)/3.63] with 7.74-m magnetic beach. By introducing two types of local defects(corresponding to Eθ(z0) = 0 and E’θ(z0) = 0 respectively), odd-parity and even-parity discrete eigenmodes are formed clearly inside the gap. The strength of these gap eigenmodes decreases significantly with collision frequency, which is consistent with previous studies. Parameter scans show that these gap eigenmodes can be even formed successfully for the field strength of B0(z) = 0.2 + 0.1 cos[2π(z-33.68)/3.63] and with only four magnetic mirrors, which are achievable by the LAPD at its present status. This work can serve as a strong motivation and direct reference for the experimental implementation of the gap eigenmode of SAWs on the LAPD and other linear plasma devices.