Impact of the plasma response in three-dimensional edge plasma transport modelling for RMP ELM control scenarios at ITER

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitz, Oliver

2014-10-01

The constrains used in magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) modeling of the plasma response to external resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) fields have a profound impact on the three-dimensional (3-D) shape of the plasma boundary induced by RMP fields. In this contribution, the consequences of the plasma response on the actual 3D boundary structure and transport during RMP application at ITER are investigated. The 3D fluid plasma and kinetic neutral transport code EMC3-Eirene is used for edge transport modeling. Plasma response modeling is conducted with the M3D-C1 code using a single fluid, non-linear and a two fluid, linear MHD constrain. These approaches are compared to results with an ideal MHD like plasma response. A 3D plasma boundary is formed for all cases consisting of magnetic finger structures at the X-point intersecting the divertor surface in a helical footprint pattern. The width of the helical footprint pattern is largely reduced compared to vacuum magnetic fields when using the ideal MHD like screening model. This yields increasing peak heat fluxes in contrast to a beneficial heat flux spreading seen with vacuum fields. The particle pump out as well as loss of thermal energy is reduced by a factor of two compared to vacuum fields. In contrast, the impact of the plasma response obtained from both MHD constrains in M3D-C1 is nearly negligible at the plasma boundary and only a small modification of the magnetic footprint topology is detected. Accordingly, heat and particle fluxes on the target plates as well as the edge transport characteristics are comparable to the vacuum solution. This span of modeling results with different plasma response models highlights the importance of thoroughly validating both, plasma response and 3D edge transport models for a robust extrapolation towards ITER. Supported by ITER Grant IO/CT/11/4300000497 and F4E Grant GRT-055 (PMS-PE) and by Start-Up Funds of the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

A reduced model for ion temperature gradient turbulent transport in helical plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nunami, M.; Watanabe, T.-H.; Sugama, H.

2013-07-01

A novel reduced model for ion temperature gradient (ITG) turbulent transport in helical plasmas is presented. The model enables one to predict nonlinear gyrokinetic simulation results from linear gyrokinetic analyses. It is shown from nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations of the ITG turbulence in helical plasmas that the transport coefficient can be expressed as a function of the turbulent fluctuation level and the averaged zonal flow amplitude. Then, the reduced model for the turbulent ion heat diffusivity is derived by representing the nonlinear turbulent fluctuations and zonal flow amplitude in terms of the linear growth rate of the ITG instability and the linear response of the zonal flow potentials. It is confirmed that the reduced transport model results are in good agreement with those from nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations for high ion temperature plasmas in the Large Helical Device. (author)

Coarse Grained Transport Model for Neutrals in Turbulent SOL Plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marandet, Y.; Mekkaoui, A.; Genesio, P.; Rosato, J.; Capes, H.; Godbert-Mouret, L.; Koubiti, M.; Stamm, R., E-mail: yannick.marandet@univ-amu.fr [PIIM, CNRS/Aix-Marseille University, Marseille (France); Reiter, D.; Boerner, P. [IEK4, FZJ, Juelich (Germany)

2012-09-15

Full text: Edge plasmas of magnetic fusion devices exhibit strong intermittent turbulence, which governs perpendicular transport of particles and heat. Turbulent fluxes result from the coarse graining procedure used to derive the transport equation, which entails time averaging of the underlying equations governing the turbulent evolution of the electron and ion fluids. In previous works, we have pointed out that this averaging is not carried out on the Boltzmann equation that describes the transport of neutral particles (atoms, molecules) in current edge code suites (such as SOLPS). Since fluctuations in the far SOL are of order unity, calculating the transport of neutral particles, hence the source terms in plasma fluid equations, in the average plasma background might lead to misleading results. In particular, retaining the effects of fluctuations could affect the estimation of the importance of main chamber recycling, hence first wall sputtering by charge exchange atoms, as well as main chamber impurity contamination and transport. In this contribution, we obtain an exact coarse-grained equation for the average neutral density, assuming that density fluctuations are described by multivariate Gamma statistics. This equation is a scattering free Boltzmann equation, where the ionization rate has been renormalized to account for fluctuations. The coarse grained transport model for neutrals has been implemented in the EIRENE code, and applications in 2D geometry with ITER relevant plasma parameters are presented. Our results open the way for the implementation of the effects of turbulent fluctuations on the transport of neutral particles in coupled plasma/neutral edge codes like B2-EIRENE. (author)

Self-organization of hot plasmas the canonical profile transport model

CERN Document Server

Dnestrovskij, Yu N

2015-01-01

In this monograph the author presents the Canonical Profile Transport Model or CPTM as a rather general mathematical framework to simulate plasma discharges.The description of hot plasmas in a magnetic fusion device is a very challenging task and many plasma properties still lack a physical explanation. One important property is plasma self-organization.It is very well known from experiments that the radial profile of the plasma pressure and temperature remains rather unaffected by changes of the deposited power or plasma density. The attractiveness of the CPTM is that it includes the effect o

Effects of fueling profiles on plasma transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Houlberg, W.A.; Mense, A.T.; Attenberger, S.E.; Milora, S.L.

1977-01-01

The effects of cold particle fueling profiles on particle and energy transport in an ignition sized tokamak plasma are investigated in this study with a one-dimensional, multifluid transport model. A density gradient driven trapped particle microinstability model for plasma transport is used to demonstrate potential effects of fueling profiles on ignition requirements. Important criteria for the development of improved transport models under the conditions of shallow particle fueling profiles are outlined. A discrete pellet fueling model indicates that large fluctuations in density and temperature may occur in the outer regions of the plasma with large, shallowly penetrating pellets, but fluctuations in the pressure profile are small. The hot central core of the plasma remains unaffected by the large fluctuations near the plasma edge

Hierarchical modeling of plasma and transport phenomena in a dielectric barrier discharge reactor

Science.gov (United States)

Bali, N.; Aggelopoulos, C. A.; Skouras, E. D.; Tsakiroglou, C. D.; Burganos, V. N.

2017-12-01

A novel dual-time hierarchical approach is developed to link the plasma process to macroscopic transport phenomena in the interior of a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor that has been used for soil remediation (Aggelopoulos et al 2016 Chem. Eng. J. 301 353-61). The generation of active species by plasma reactions is simulated at the microseconds (µs) timescale, whereas convection and thermal conduction are simulated at the macroscopic (minutes) timescale. This hierarchical model is implemented in order to investigate the influence of the plasma DBD process on the transport and reaction mechanisms during remediation of polluted soil. In the microscopic model, the variables of interest include the plasma-induced reactive concentrations, while in the macroscopic approach, the temperature distribution, and the velocity field both inside the discharge gap and within the polluted soil material as well. For the latter model, the Navier-Stokes and Darcy Brinkman equations for the transport phenomena in the porous domain are solved numerically using a FEM software. The effective medium theory is employed to provide estimates of the effective time-evolving and three-phase transport properties in the soil sample. Model predictions considering the temporal evolution of the plasma remediation process are presented and compared with corresponding experimental data.

Predictive modelling of edge transport phenomena in ELMy H-mode tokamak fusion plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loennroth, J.-S.

2009-01-01

This thesis discusses a range of work dealing with edge plasma transport in magnetically confined fusion plasmas by means of predictive transport modelling, a technique in which qualitative predictions and explanations are sought by running transport codes equipped with models for plasma transport and other relevant phenomena. The focus is on high confinement mode (H-mode) tokamak plasmas, which feature improved performance thanks to the formation of an edge transport barrier. H-mode plasmas are generally characterized by the occurrence of edge localized modes (ELMs), periodic eruptions of particles and energy, which limit confinement and may turn out to be seriously damaging in future tokamaks. The thesis introduces schemes and models for qualitative study of the ELM phenomenon in predictive transport modelling. It aims to shed new light on the dynamics of ELMs using these models. It tries to explain various experimental observations related to the performance and ELM-behaviour of H-mode plasmas. Finally, it also tries to establish more generally the potential effects of ripple-induced thermal ion losses on H-mode plasma performance and ELMs. It is demonstrated that the proposed ELM modelling schemes can qualitatively reproduce the experimental dynamics of a number of ELM regimes. Using a theory-motivated ELM model based on a linear instability model, the dynamics of combined ballooning-peeling mode ELMs is studied. It is shown that the ELMs are most often triggered by a ballooning mode instability, which renders the plasma peeling mode unstable, causing the ELM to continue in a peeling mode phase. Understanding the dynamics of ELMs will be a key issue when it comes to controlling and mitigating the ELMs in future large tokamaks. By means of integrated modelling, it is shown that an experimentally observed increase in the ELM frequency and deterioration of plasma confinement triggered by external neutral gas puffing might be due to a transition from the second to

Modelling of ion thermal transport in ergodic region of collisionless toroidal plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanno, Ryutaro; Nunami, Masanori; Satake, Shinsuke; Ohyabu, Nobuyoshi; Takamaru, Hisanori; Okamoto, Masao

2009-09-01

In recent tokamak experiments it has been found that so-called diffusion theory based on the 'diffusion of magnetic field lines' overestimates the radial energy transport in the ergodic region of the collisionless plasma affected by resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs), though the RMPs induce chaotic behavior of the magnetic field lines. The result implies that the modelling of the transport should be reconsidered for low collisionality cases. A computer simulation study of transport in the ergodic region is required for understanding fundamental properties of collisionless ergodized-plasmas, estimating the transport coefficients, and reconstructing the modelling of the transport. In this paper, we report the simulation study of thermal transport in the ergodic region under the assumption of neglecting effects of an electric field, impurities and neutrals. Because of the simulations neglecting interactions with different particle-species and saving the computational time, we treat ions (protons) in our numerical-study of the transport. We find that the thermal diffusivity in the ergodic region is extremely small compared to the one predicted by the theory of field-line diffusion and that the diffusivity depends on both the collision frequency and the strength of RMPs even for the collisionless ergodized-plasma. (author)

2-3D nonlocal transport model in magnetized laser plasmas.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicolaï, Philippe; Feugeas, Jean-Luc; Schurtz, Guy

2004-11-01

We present a model of nonlocal transport for multidimensional radiation magneto-hydrodynamics codes. This model, based on simplified Fokker-Planck equations, aims at extending the formulae of G Schurtz,Ph.Nicolaï and M. Busquet [Phys. Plasmas,7,4238 (2000)] to magnetized plasmas.The improvements concern various points as the electric field effects on nonlocal transport or conversely the kinetic effects on E field. However the main purpose of this work is to generalize the previous model by including magnetic field effects. A complete system of nonlocal equations is derived from kinetic equations with self-consistent E and B fields. These equations are analyzed and simplified in order to be implemented into large laser fusion codes and coupled to other relevent physics. Finally, our model allows to obtain the deformation of the electron distribution function due to nonlocal effects. This deformation leads to a non-maxwellian function which could be used to compute the influence on other physical processes.

A numerical model of non-equilibrium thermal plasmas. I. Transport properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang XiaoNing; Xia WeiDong [Department of Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui Province 230026 (China); Li HePing [Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Murphy, Anthony B. [CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, PO Box 218, Lindfield NSW 2070 (Australia)

2013-03-15

A self-consistent and complete numerical model for investigating the fundamental processes in a non-equilibrium thermal plasma system consists of the governing equations and the corresponding physical properties of the plasmas. In this paper, a new kinetic theory of the transport properties of two-temperature (2-T) plasmas, based on the solution of the Boltzmann equation using a modified Chapman-Enskog method, is presented. This work is motivated by the large discrepancies between the theories for the calculation of the transport properties of 2-T plasmas proposed by different authors in previous publications. In the present paper, the coupling between electrons and heavy species is taken into account, but reasonable simplifications are adopted, based on the physical fact that m{sub e}/m{sub h} Much-Less-Than 1, where m{sub e} and m{sub h} are, respectively, the masses of electrons and heavy species. A new set of formulas for the transport coefficients of 2-T plasmas is obtained. The new theory has important physical and practical advantages over previous approaches. In particular, the diffusion coefficients are complete and satisfy the mass conversation law due to the consideration of the coupling between electrons and heavy species. Moreover, this essential requirement is satisfied without increasing the complexity of the transport coefficient formulas. Expressions for the 2-T combined diffusion coefficients are obtained. The expressions for the transport coefficients can be reduced to the corresponding well-established expressions for plasmas in local thermodynamic equilibrium for the case in which the electron and heavy-species temperatures are equal.

A numerical model of non-equilibrium thermal plasmas. I. Transport properties

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiao-Ning; Li, He-Ping; Murphy, Anthony B.; Xia, Wei-Dong

2013-03-01

A self-consistent and complete numerical model for investigating the fundamental processes in a non-equilibrium thermal plasma system consists of the governing equations and the corresponding physical properties of the plasmas. In this paper, a new kinetic theory of the transport properties of two-temperature (2-T) plasmas, based on the solution of the Boltzmann equation using a modified Chapman-Enskog method, is presented. This work is motivated by the large discrepancies between the theories for the calculation of the transport properties of 2-T plasmas proposed by different authors in previous publications. In the present paper, the coupling between electrons and heavy species is taken into account, but reasonable simplifications are adopted, based on the physical fact that me/mh ≪ 1, where me and mh are, respectively, the masses of electrons and heavy species. A new set of formulas for the transport coefficients of 2-T plasmas is obtained. The new theory has important physical and practical advantages over previous approaches. In particular, the diffusion coefficients are complete and satisfy the mass conversation law due to the consideration of the coupling between electrons and heavy species. Moreover, this essential requirement is satisfied without increasing the complexity of the transport coefficient formulas. Expressions for the 2-T combined diffusion coefficients are obtained. The expressions for the transport coefficients can be reduced to the corresponding well-established expressions for plasmas in local thermodynamic equilibrium for the case in which the electron and heavy-species temperatures are equal.

The simulation of L-H transition in tokamak plasma using MMM95 transport model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Intharat, P; Poolyarat, N; Chatthong, B; Onjun, T; Picha, R

2015-01-01

BALDUR integrative predictive modelling code together with a Multimode (MMM95) anomalous transport model is used to simulate the evolution profiles, including plasma current, temperature, density and energy in a tokamak reactor. It is found that a self - transition from low confinement mode (L-mode) to high confinement mode (H-mode) regimes can be achieved once a sufficient auxiliary heating applied to the plasma is reached. The result agrees with experimental observations from various tokamaks. A strong reduction of turbulent transport near the edge of plasma is also observed, which is related to the formation of steep radial electric field near the edge regime. From transport analysis, it appears that the resistive ballooning mode is the dominant term near the plasma edge regime, which is significantly reduced during the transition. (paper)

Tungsten Transport in the Core of JET H-mode Plasmas, Experiments and Modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Angioni, Clemente

2014-10-01

The physics of heavy impurity transport in tokamak plasmas plays an essential role towards the achievement of practical fusion energy. Reliable predictions of the behavior of these impurities require the development of realistic theoretical models and a complete understanding of present experiments, against which models can be validated. Recent experimental campaigns at JET with the ITER-like wall, with a W divertor, provide an extremely interesting and relevant opportunity to perform this combined experimental and theoretical research. Theoretical models of both neoclassical and turbulent transport must consistently include the impact of any poloidal asymmetry of the W density to enable quantitative predictions of the 2D W density distribution over the poloidal cross section. The agreement between theoretical predictions and experimentally reconstructed 2D W densities allows the identification of the main mechanisms which govern W transport in the core of JET H-mode plasmas. Neoclassical transport is largely enhanced by centrifugal effects and the neoclassical convection dominates, leading to central accumulation in the presence of central peaking of the density profiles and insufficiently peaked ion temperature profiles. The strength of the neoclassical temperature screening is affected by poloidal asymmetries. Only around mid-radius, turbulent diffusion offsets neoclassical transport. Consistently with observations in other devices, ion cyclotron resonance heating in the plasma center can flatten the electron density profile and peak the ion temperature profile and provide a means to reverse the neoclassical convection. MHD activity may hamper or speed up the accumulation process depending on mode number and plasma conditions. Finally, the relationship of JET results to a parallel modelling activity of the W behavior in the core of ASDEX Upgrade plasmas is presented. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation

Analysis of pedestal plasma transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Callen, J.D.; Groebner, R.J.; Osborne, T.H.; Canik, J.M.; Owen, L.W.; Pankin, A.Y.; Rafiq, T.; Rognlien, T.D.; Stacey, W.M.

2010-01-01

An H-mode edge pedestal plasma transport benchmarking exercise was undertaken for a single DIII-D pedestal. Transport modelling codes used include 1.5D interpretive (ONETWO, GTEDGE), 1.5D predictive (ASTRA) and 2D ones (SOLPS, UEDGE). The particular DIII-D discharge considered is 98889, which has a typical low density pedestal. Profiles for the edge plasma are obtained from Thomson and charge-exchange recombination data averaged over the last 20% of the average 33.53 ms repetition time between type I edge localized modes. The modelled density of recycled neutrals is largest in the divertor X-point region and causes the edge plasma source rate to vary by a factor ∼10 2 on the separatrix. Modelled poloidal variations in the densities and temperatures on flux surfaces are small on all flux surfaces up to within about 2.6 mm (ρ N > 0.99) of the mid-plane separatrix. For the assumed Fick's-diffusion-type laws, the radial heat and density fluxes vary poloidally by factors of 2-3 in the pedestal region; they are largest on the outboard mid-plane where flux surfaces are compressed and local radial gradients are largest. Convective heat flows are found to be small fractions of the electron (∼ 2 s -1 . Electron heat transport is found to be best characterized by electron-temperature-gradient-induced transport at the pedestal top and paleoclassical transport throughout the pedestal. The effective ion heat diffusivity in the pedestal has a different profile from the neoclassical prediction and may be smaller than it. The very small effective density diffusivity may be the result of an inward pinch flow nearly balancing a diffusive outward radial density flux. The inward ion pinch velocity and density diffusion coefficient are determined by a new interpretive analysis technique that uses information from the force balance (momentum conservation) equations; the paleoclassical transport model provides a plausible explanation of these new results. Finally, the measurements

Collisional particle-in-cell modeling for energy transport accompanied by atomic processes in dense plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mishra, R.; Beg, F. N. [Center for Energy Research, University of California, San Diego, California 92093 (United States); Leblanc, P.; Sentoku, Y. [Department of Physics, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557 (United States); Wei, M. S. [General Atomics, San Diego, California 92121 (United States)

2013-07-15

Fully relativistic collisional Particle-in-Cell (PIC) code, PICLS, has been developed to study extreme energy density conditions produced in intense laser-solid interaction. Recent extensions to PICLS, such as the implementation of dynamic ionization, binary collisions in a partially ionized plasma, and radiative losses, enhance the efficacy of simulating intense laser plasma interaction and subsequent energy transport in resistive media. Different ionization models are introduced and benchmarked against each other to check the suitability of the model. The atomic physics models are critical to determine the energy deposition and transport in dense plasmas, especially when they consist of high Z (atomic number) materials. Finally we demonstrate the electron transport simulations to show the importance of target material on fast electron dynamics.

Solitary Model of the Charge Particle Transport in Collisionless Plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simonchik, L.V.; Trukhachev, F.M.

2006-01-01

The one-dimensional MHD solitary model of charged particle transport in plasma is developed. It is shown that self-consistent electric field of ion-acoustic solitons can displace charged particles in space, which can be a reason of local electric current generation. The displacement amount is order of a few Debye lengths. It is shown that the current associated with soliton cascade has pulsating nature with DC component. Methods of built theory verification in dusty plasma are proposed

Coupled plasma-neutral transport model for the scrape-off region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galambos, J.D.; Peng, Y.K.M.; Heifetz, D.

1985-03-01

Analysis of the scrape-off region requires treatment of the plasma transport along and across the field lines and inclusion of the neutral transport effects. A method for modeling the scrape-off region that is presented here uses separate models for each of these aspects that are coupled together through an iteration procedure that requires only minimal numerical effort. The method is applied here to estimate the neutral pumping rates in the pump-limiter and divertor options for a proposed deuterium-tritium (D-T) ignition experiment. High neutral recycling in the vicinity of the neutralizer plate dramatically affects pumping rates for both the pump-limiter and divertor. In both cases, the plasma flow into the channel surrounding the neutralizer plate is greatly reduced by the neutral recycling. The fraction of this flow that is pumped can be large (> 50%), but in general it is dependent on the particular geometry and plasma conditions. It is estimated that pumping speeds approximately greater than 10 5 L/s are adequate for the exhaust requirements in the pump-limiter and the divertor cases. Also, high neutral recycling on the front surface of the limiter tends to increase the neutral pumping rate

A quasi-linear gyrokinetic transport model for tokamak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casati, A.

2009-10-01

After a presentation of some basics around nuclear fusion, this research thesis introduces the framework of the tokamak strategy to deal with confinement, hence the main plasma instabilities which are responsible for turbulent transport of energy and matter in such a system. The author also briefly introduces the two principal plasma representations, the fluid and the kinetic ones. He explains why the gyro-kinetic approach has been preferred. A tokamak relevant case is presented in order to highlight the relevance of a correct accounting of the kinetic wave-particle resonance. He discusses the issue of the quasi-linear response. Firstly, the derivation of the model, called QuaLiKiz, and its underlying hypotheses to get the energy and the particle turbulent flux are presented. Secondly, the validity of the quasi-linear response is verified against the nonlinear gyro-kinetic simulations. The saturation model that is assumed in QuaLiKiz, is presented and discussed. Then, the author qualifies the global outcomes of QuaLiKiz. Both the quasi-linear energy and the particle flux are compared to the expectations from the nonlinear simulations, across a wide scan of tokamak relevant parameters. Therefore, the coupling of QuaLiKiz within the integrated transport solver CRONOS is presented: this procedure allows the time-dependent transport problem to be solved, hence the direct application of the model to the experiment. The first preliminary results regarding the experimental analysis are finally discussed

One possible method of mathematical modeling of turbulent transport processes in plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skvortsova, Nina N.; Batanov, German M.; Petrov, Alexander E.; Pshenichnikov, Anton A.; Sarksyan, Karen A.; Kharchev, Nikolay K.; Bening, Vladimir E.; Korolev, Victor Yu.

2003-01-01

It is proposed to use the mathematical modeling of the increments of fluctuating plasma variables to analyzing the probability characteristics of turbulent transport processes in plasma. It is shown that, in plasma of the L-2M stellarator and the TAU-1 linear device, the increments of the process of local fluctuating particle flux are stochastic in nature and their distribution is a scale mixture of Gaussians. (author)

An axially averaged-radial transport model of tokamak edge plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prinja, A.K.; Conn, R.W.

1984-01-01

A two-zone axially averaged-radial transport model for edge plasmas is described that incorporates parallel electron and ion conduction, localized recycling, parallel electron pressure gradient effects and sheath losses. Results for high recycling show that the radial electron temperature profile is determined by parallel electron conduction over short radial distances (proportional 3 cm). At larger radius where Tsub(e) has fallen appreciably, convective transport becomes equally important. The downstream density and ion temperature profiles are very flat over the region where electron conduction dominates. This is seen to result from a sharply decaying velocity profile that follows the radial electron temperature. A one-dimensional analytical recycling model shows that at high neutral pumping rates, the plasma density at the plate, nsub(ia), scales linearly with the unperturbed background density, nsub(io). When ionization dominates nsub(ia)/nsub(io) proportional exp(nsub(io)) while in the intermediate regime nsub(ia)/nsub(io) proportional exp(proportional nsub(io)). Such behavior is qualitatively in accord with experimental observations. (orig.)

Instabilities, turbulence and transport in a magnetized plasma; Instabilites, turbulence et transport dans un plasma magnetise

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garbet, X

2001-06-01

The purpose of this work is to introduce the main processes that occur in a magnetized plasma. During the last 2 decades, the understanding of turbulence has made great progress but analytical formulas and simulations are far to produce reliable predictions. The values of transport coefficients in a tokamak plasma exceed by far those predicted by the theory of collisional transport. This phenomenon is called abnormal transport and might be due to plasma fluctuations. An estimation of turbulent fluxes derived from the levels of fluctuations, is proposed. A flow description of plasma allows the understanding of most micro-instabilities. The ballooning representation deals with instabilities in a toric geometry. 3 factors play an important role to stabilize plasmas: density pinch, magnetic shear and speed shear. The flow model of plasma gives an erroneous value for the stability threshold, this is due to a bad description of the resonant interaction between wave and particle. As for dynamics, flow models can be improved by adding dissipative terms so that the linear response nears the kinetic response. The kinetic approach is more accurate but is complex because of the great number of dimensions involved. (A.C.)

Plasma transport in the Scrape-off-Layer of magnetically confined plasma and the plasma exhaust

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Jens Juul; Naulin, Volker; Nielsen, Anders Henry

An overview of the plasma dynamics in the Scrape-off-Layer (SOL) of magnetically confined plasma is presented. The SOL is the exhaust channel of the warm plasma from the core, and the understanding of the SOL plasma dynamics is one of the key issues in contemporary fusion research. It is essential...... for operation of fusion experiments and ultimately fusion power plants. Recent results clearly demonstrate that the plasma transport through the SOL is dominated by turbulent intermittent fluctuations organized into filamentary structures convecting particles, energy, and momentum through the SOL region. Thus......, the transport cannot be described and parametrized by simple diffusive type models. The transport leads to strong localized power loads on the first wall and the plasma facing components, which have serious lasting influence....

Plasma transport in a compact ignition tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singer, C.E.; Ku, L.P; Bateman, G.

1987-02-01

Nominal predicted plasma conditions in a compact ignition tokamak are illustrated by transport simulations using experimentally calibrated plasma transport models. The range of uncertainty in these predictions is explored by using various models which have given almost equally good fits to experimental data. Using a transport model which best fits the data, thermonuclear ignition occurs in a Compact Ignition Tokamak design with major radius 1.32 m, plasma half-width 0.43 m, elongation 2.0, and toroidal field and plasma current ramped in six seconds from 1.7 to 10.4 T and 0.7 to 10 MA, respectively. Ignition is facilitated by 20 MW of heating deposited off the magnetic axis near the 3 He minority cyclotron resonance layer. Under these conditions, sawtooth oscillations are small and have little impact on ignition. Tritium inventory is minimized by preconditioning most discharges with deuterium. Tritium is injected, in large frozen pellets, only after minority resonance preheating. Variations of the transport model, impurity influx, heating profile, and pellet ablation rates, have a large effect on ignition and on the maximum beta that can be achieved

Plasma Transport at the Magnetospheric Flank Boundary. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otto, Antonius

2012-01-01

Progress is highlighted in these areas: 1. Model of magnetic reconnection induced by three-dimensional Kelvin Helmholtz (KH) modes at the magnetospheric flank boundary; 2. Quantitative evaluation of mass transport from the magnetosheath onto closed geomagnetic field for northward IMF; 3. Comparison of mass transfer by cusp reconnection and Flank Kelvin Helmholtz modes; 4. Entropy constraint and plasma transport in the magnetotail - a new mechanism for current sheet thinning; 5. Test particle model for mass transport onto closed geomagnetic field for northward IMF; 6. Influence of density asymmetry and magnetic shear on (a) the linear and nonlinear growth of 3D Kelvin Helmholtz (KH) modes, and (b) three-dimensional KH mediated mass transport; 7. Examination of entropy and plasma transport in the magnetotail; 8. Entropy change and plasma transport by KH mediated reconnection - mixing and heating of plasma; 9. Entropy and plasma transport in the magnetotail - tail reconnection; and, 10. Wave coupling at the magnetospheric boundary and generation of kinetic Alfven waves

Nonlocal transport in hot plasma. Part I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brantov, A. V.; Bychenkov, V. Yu.

2013-01-01

The problem of describing charged particle transport in hot plasma under the conditions in which the ratio of the electron mean free path to the gradient length is not too small is one of the key problems of plasma physics. However, up to now, there was a deficit of the systematic interpretation of the current state of this problem, which, in most studies, is formulated as the problem of nonlocal transport. In this review, we fill this gap by presenting a self-consistent linear theory of nonlocal transport for small plasma perturbations and an arbitrary collisionality from the classical highly collisional hydrodynamic regime to the collisionless regime. We describe a number of nonlinear transport models and demonstrate the application of the nonclassical transport theory to the solution of some problems of plasma physics, first of all for plasmas produced by nanosecond laser pulses with intensities of 10 13 –10 16 W/cm 2

Fluid and gyrokinetic modelling of particle transport in plasmas with hollow density profiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tegnered, D; Oberparleiter, M; Nordman, H; Strand, P

2016-01-01

Hollow density profiles occur in connection with pellet fuelling and L to H transitions. A positive density gradient could potentially stabilize the turbulence or change the relation between convective and diffusive fluxes, thereby reducing the turbulent transport of particles towards the center, making the fuelling scheme inefficient. In the present work, the particle transport driven by ITG/TE mode turbulence in regions of hollow density profiles is studied by fluid as well as gyrokinetic simulations. The fluid model used, an extended version of the Weiland transport model, Extended Drift Wave Model (EDWM), incorporates an arbitrary number of ion species in a multi-fluid description, and an extended wavelength spectrum. The fluid model, which is fast and hence suitable for use in predictive simulations, is compared to gyrokinetic simulations using the code GENE. Typical tokamak parameters are used based on the Cyclone Base Case. Parameter scans in key plasma parameters like plasma β, R/L T , and magnetic shear are investigated. It is found that β in particular has a stabilizing effect in the negative R/L n region, both nonlinear GENE and EDWM show a decrease in inward flux for negative R/L n and a change of direction from inward to outward for positive R/L n . This might have serious consequences for pellet fuelling of high β plasmas. (paper)

Transport, chaos and plasma physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benkadda, S.; Doveil, F.; Elskens, Y.

1993-01-01

This workshop made it possible to gather for the first time plasma physicists, dynamical systems physicists and mathematicians, around a general theme focusing on the characterisation of chaotic transport. The participations have been divided into 4 topics: - dynamical systems and microscopic models of chaotic transport, - magnetic fluctuations and transport in tokamaks, - drift wave turbulence, self-organisation and intermittency, and - Wave-particle interactions

Suprathermal ion transport in turbulent magnetized plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bovet, A. D.

2015-01-01

Suprathermal ions, which have an energy greater than the quasi-Maxwellian background plasma temperature, are present in many laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. In fusion devices, they are generated by the fusion reactions and auxiliary heating. Controlling their transport is essential for the success of future fusion devices that could provide a clean, safe and abundant source of electric power to our society. In space, suprathermal ions include energetic solar particles and cosmic rays. The understanding of the acceleration and transport mechanisms of these particles is still incomplete. Basic plasma devices allow detailed measurements that are not accessible in astrophysical and fusion plasmas, due to the difficulty to access the former and the high temperatures of the latter. The basic toroidal device TORPEX offers an easy access for diagnostics, well characterized plasma scenarios and validated numerical simulations of its turbulence dynamics, making it the ideal platform for the investigation of suprathermal ion transport. This Thesis presents three-dimensional measurements of a suprathermal ion beam injected in turbulent TORPEX plasmas. The combination of uniquely resolved measurements and first principle numerical simulations reveals the general non-diffusive nature of the suprathermal ion transport. A precise characterization of their transport regime shows that, depending on their energies, suprathermal ions can experience either a super diffusive transport or a subdiffusive transport in the same background turbulence. The transport character is determined by the interaction of the suprathermal ion orbits with the turbulent plasma structures, which in turn depends on the ratio between the ion energy and the background plasma temperature. Time-resolved measurements reveal a clear difference in the intermittency of suprathermal ions time-traces depending on the transport regime they experience. Conditionally averaged measurements uncover the influence of

Plasma Interactions with Mixed Materials and Impurity Transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rognlien, T. D. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Beiersdorfer, Peter [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Chernov, A. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Frolov, T. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Magee, E. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Rudd, R. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Umansky, M. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2016-10-28

The project brings together three discipline areas at LLNL to develop advanced capability to predict the impact of plasma/material interactions (PMI) on metallic surfaces in magnetic fusion energy (MFE) devices. These areas are (1) modeling transport of wall impurity ions through the edge plasma to the core plasma, (2) construction of a laser blow-off (LBO) system for injecting precise amounts of metallic atoms into a tokamak plasma, and (3) material science analysis of fundamental processes that modify metallic surfaces during plasma bombardment. The focus is on tungsten (W), which is being used for the ITER divertor and in designs of future MFE devices. In area (1), we have worked with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) on applications of the UEDGE/DUSTT coupled codes to predict the influx of impurity ions from W dust through the edge plasma, including periodic edge-plasma oscillations, and revived a parallel version of UEDGE to speed up these simulations. In addition, the impurity transport model in the 2D UEDGE code has been implemented into the 3D BOUT++ turbulence/transport code to allow fundamental analysis of the impact of strong plasma turbulence on the impurity transport. In area (2), construction and testing of the LBO injection system has been completed. The original plan to install the LBO on the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) at Princeton and its use to validate the impurity transport simulations is delayed owing to NSTX-U being offline for substantial magnetic coil repair period. In area (3), an analytic model has been developed to explain the growth of W tendrils (or fuzz) observed for helium-containing plasmas. Molecular dynamics calculations of W sputtering by W and deuterium (D) ions shows that a spatial blending of interatomic potentials is needed to describe the near-surface and deeper regions of the material.

Plasma Interactions with Mixed Materials and Impurity Transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rognlien, T. D.; Beiersdorfer, Peter; Chernov, A.; Frolov, T.; Magee, E.; Rudd, R.; Umansky, M.

2016-01-01

The project brings together three discipline areas at LLNL to develop advanced capability to predict the impact of plasma/material interactions (PMI) on metallic surfaces in magnetic fusion energy (MFE) devices. These areas are (1) modeling transport of wall impurity ions through the edge plasma to the core plasma, (2) construction of a laser blow-off (LBO) system for injecting precise amounts of metallic atoms into a tokamak plasma, and (3) material science analysis of fundamental processes that modify metallic surfaces during plasma bombardment. The focus is on tungsten (W), which is being used for the ITER divertor and in designs of future MFE devices. In area (1), we have worked with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) on applications of the UEDGE/DUSTT coupled codes to predict the influx of impurity ions from W dust through the edge plasma, including periodic edge-plasma oscillations, and revived a parallel version of UEDGE to speed up these simulations. In addition, the impurity transport model in the 2D UEDGE code has been implemented into the 3D BOUT++ turbulence/transport code to allow fundamental analysis of the impact of strong plasma turbulence on the impurity transport. In area (2), construction and testing of the LBO injection system has been completed. The original plan to install the LBO on the National Spherical Torus Experiment Upgrade (NSTX-U) at Princeton and its use to validate the impurity transport simulations is delayed owing to NSTX-U being offline for substantial magnetic coil repair period. In area (3), an analytic model has been developed to explain the growth of W tendrils (or fuzz) observed for helium-containing plasmas. Molecular dynamics calculations of W sputtering by W and deuterium (D) ions shows that a spatial blending of interatomic potentials is needed to describe the near-surface and deeper regions of the material.

Effects of pressure anisotropy on plasma transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zawaideh, E.; Najmabadi, F.; Conn, R.W.

1986-03-01

In a recent paper a new set of generalized two-field equations is derived which describes plasma transport along the field lines of a space and time dependent magnetic field. These equations are valid for collisional to weakly collisional plasmas; they reduce to the conventional fluid equations of Braginskii for highly collisional plasmas. An important feature of these equations is that the anisotropy in the ion pressure is explicitly included. In this paper, these generalized transport equations are applied to a model problem of plasma flow through a magnetic mirror field. The profiles of the plasma parameters (density, flow speed, and pressures) are numerically calculated for plasma in different collisionality regimes. These profiles are explained by examining the competing terms in the transport equation. The pressure anisotropy is found to profoundly impact the plasma flow behavior. As a result, the new generalized equations predict flow behavior more accurately than the conventional transport equations. A large density and pressure drop is predicted as the flow passes through a magnetic mirror. Further, the new equations uniquely predict oscillations in the density profile, an effect missing in results from the conventional equations

Probabilistic transport models for plasma transport in the presence of critical thresholds: Beyond the diffusive paradigm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez, R.; Milligen, B.Ph. van; Carreras, B.A.

2005-01-01

It is argued that the modeling of plasma transport in tokamaks may benefit greatly from extending the usual local paradigm to accommodate scale-free transport mechanisms. This can be done by combining Levy distributions and a nonlinear threshold condition within the continuous time random walk concept. The advantages of this nonlocal, nonlinear extension are illustrated by constructing a simple particle density transport model that, as a result of these ideas, spontaneously exhibits much of nondiffusive phenomenology routinely observed in tokamaks. The fluid limit of the system shows that the kind of equations that are appropriate to capture these dynamics are based on fractional differential operators. In them, effective diffusivities and pinch velocities are found that are dynamically set by the system in response to the specific characteristics of the fueling source and external perturbations. This fact suggests some dramatic consequences for the extrapolation of these transport properties to larger size systems

Nonlinear electron transport in magnetized laser plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kho, T.H.; Haines, M.G.

1986-01-01

Electron transport in a magnetized plasma heated by inverse bremsstrahlung is studied numerically using a nonlinear Fokker--Planck model with self-consistent E and B fields. The numerical scheme is described. Nonlocal transport is found to alter many of the transport coefficients derived from linear transport theory, in particular, the Nernst and Righi--Leduc effects, in addition to the perpendicular heat flux q/sub perpendicular/, are substantially reduced near critical surface. The magnetic field, however, remains strongly coupled to the nonlinear q/sub perpendicular/ and, as has been found in hydrosimulations, convective amplification of the magnetic field occurs in the overdense plasma

Time dependent plasma viscosity and relation between neoclassical transport and turbulent transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaing, K.C.

2005-01-01

Time dependent plasma viscosities for asymmetric toroidal plasmas in various collisionality regimes are calculated. It is known that in the symmetric limit the time dependent plasma viscosities accurately describe plasma flow damping rate. Thus, time dependent plasma viscosities are important in modeling the radial electric field of the zonal flow. From the momentum balance equation, it is shown that, at the steady state, the balance of the viscosity force and the momentum source determines the radial electric field of the zonal flow. Thus, for a fixed source, the smaller the viscous force is, the larger the value of the radial electric field is, which in turn suppresses the turbulence fluctuations more and improves turbulence transport. However, the smaller the viscous force also implies the smaller the neoclassical transport fluxes based on the neoclassical flux-force relationship. We thus show that when neoclassical transport fluxes are improved so are the turbulent fluxes in toroidal plasmas. (author)

Interchange Instability and Transport in Matter-Antimatter Plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Kendl, Alexander; Danler, Gregor; Wiesenberger, Matthias; Held, Markus

2017-06-01

Symmetric electron-positron plasmas in inhomogeneous magnetic fields are intrinsically subject to interchange instability and transport. Scaling relations for the propagation velocity of density perturbations relevant to transport in isothermal magnetically confined electron-positron plasmas are deduced, including damping effects when Debye lengths are large compared to Larmor radii. The relations are verified by nonlinear full-F gyrofluid computations. Results are analyzed with respect to planned magnetically confined electron-positron plasma experiments. The model is generalized to other matter-antimatter plasmas. Magnetized electron-positron-proton-antiproton plasmas are susceptible to interchange-driven local matter-antimatter separation, which can impede sustained laboratory magnetic confinement.

Interchange Instability and Transport in Matter-Antimatter Plasmas.

Science.gov (United States)

Kendl, Alexander; Danler, Gregor; Wiesenberger, Matthias; Held, Markus

2017-06-09

Symmetric electron-positron plasmas in inhomogeneous magnetic fields are intrinsically subject to interchange instability and transport. Scaling relations for the propagation velocity of density perturbations relevant to transport in isothermal magnetically confined electron-positron plasmas are deduced, including damping effects when Debye lengths are large compared to Larmor radii. The relations are verified by nonlinear full-F gyrofluid computations. Results are analyzed with respect to planned magnetically confined electron-positron plasma experiments. The model is generalized to other matter-antimatter plasmas. Magnetized electron-positron-proton-antiproton plasmas are susceptible to interchange-driven local matter-antimatter separation, which can impede sustained laboratory magnetic confinement.

Nonlocality of plasma fluctuations and transport in magnetically confined plasmas nonlocal plasma transport and radial structural formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toi, Kazuo

2002-01-01

Experimental evidence and underlying physical processes of nonlocal characters and structural formation in magnetically confined toroidal plasmas are reviewed. Radial profiles of the plasmas exhibit characteristic structures, depending on the various confinement regimes. Profile stiffness subjected to some global constraint and rapid plasma responses to applied plasma perturbation result from nonlocal transport. Once the plasma is free from the constraint, the plasma state can be changed to a new state exhibiting various types of prominent structural formation such as an internal transport barrier. (author)

Positron deposition in plasmas by positronium beam ionization and transport of positrons in tokamak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, T.J.

1986-11-01

In a recently proposed positron transport experiment, positrons would be deposited in a fusion plasma by forming a positronium (Ps) beam and passing it through the plasma. Positrons would be deposited as the beam is ionized by plasma ions and electrons. Radial transport of the positrons to the limiter could then be measured by detecting the gamma radiation produced by annihilation of positrons with electrons in the limiter. This would allow measurements of the transport of electron-mass particles and might shed some light on the mechanisms of electron transport in fusion plasmas. In this paper, the deposition and transport of positrons in a tokamak are simulated and the annihilation signal determined for several transport models. Calculations of the expected signals are necessary for the optimal design of a positron transport experiment. There are several mechanisms for the loss of positrons besides transport to the limiter. Annihilation with plasma electrons and reformation of positronium in positron-hydrogen collisions are two such processes. These processes can alter the signal and place restrictions ons on the plasma conditions in which positron transport experiments can be effectively performed

Transport in JET high performance plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

Two type of high performance scenarios have been produced in JET during DTE1 campaign. One of them is the well known and extensively used in the past ELM-free hot ion H-mode scenario which has two distinct regions- plasma core and the edge transport barrier. The results obtained during DTE-1 campaign with D, DT and pure T plasmas confirms our previous conclusion that the core transport scales as a gyroBohm in the inner half of plasma volume, recovers its Bohm nature closer to the separatrix and behaves as ion neoclassical in the transport barrier. Measurements on the top of the barrier suggest that the width of the barrier is dependent upon isotope and moreover suggest that fast ions play a key role. The other high performance scenario is a relatively recently developed Optimised Shear Scenario with small or slightly negative magnetic shear in plasma core. Different mechanisms of Internal Transport Barrier (ITB) formation have been tested by predictive modelling and the results are compared with experimentally observed phenomena. The experimentally observed non-penetration of the heavy impurities through the strong ITB which contradicts to a prediction of the conventional neo-classical theory is discussed. (author)

Transport in JET high performance plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

Two type of high performance scenarios have been produced in JET during DTE1 campaign. One of them is the well known and extensively used in the past ELM-free hot ion H-mode scenario which has two distinct regions- plasma core and the edge transport barrier. The results obtained during DTE-1 campaign with D, DT and pure T plasmas confirms our previous conclusion that the core transport scales as a gyroBohm in the inner half of plasma volume, recovers its Bohm nature closer to the separatrix and behaves as ion neoclassical in the transport barrier. Measurements on the top of the barrier suggest that the width of the barrier is dependent upon isotope and moreover suggest that fast ions play a key role. The other high performance scenario is a relatively recently developed Optimised Shear Scenario with small or slightly negative magnetic shear in plasma core. Different mechanisms of Internal Transport Barrier (ITB) formation have been tested by predictive modelling and the results are compared with experimentally observed phenomena. The experimentally observed non-penetration of the heavy impurities through the strong ITB which contradicts to a prediction of the conventional neo-classical theory is discussed. (author)

Probabilistic transport models for plasma transport in the presence of critical thresholds: Beyond the diffusive paradigma)

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez, R.; van Milligen, B. Ph.; Carreras, B. A.

2005-05-01

It is argued that the modeling of plasma transport in tokamaks may benefit greatly from extending the usual local paradigm to accommodate scale-free transport mechanisms. This can be done by combining Lévy distributions and a nonlinear threshold condition within the continuous time random walk concept. The advantages of this nonlocal, nonlinear extension are illustrated by constructing a simple particle density transport model that, as a result of these ideas, spontaneously exhibits much of nondiffusive phenomenology routinely observed in tokamaks. The fluid limit of the system shows that the kind of equations that are appropriate to capture these dynamics are based on fractional differential operators. In them, effective diffusivities and pinch velocities are found that are dynamically set by the system in response to the specific characteristics of the fueling source and external perturbations. This fact suggests some dramatic consequences for the extrapolation of these transport properties to larger size systems.

Transport and turbulence in a magnetized plasma (application to tokamak plasmas); Transport et turbulence dans un plasma magnetise (application aux plasmas de tokamaks)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarazin, Y

2004-03-01

This document gathers the lectures made in the framework of a Ph.D level physics class dedicated to plasma physics. This course is made up of 3 parts : 1) collisions and transport, 2) transport and turbulence, and 3) study of a few exchange instabilities. More precisely the first part deals with the following issues: thermonuclear fusion, Coulomb collisions, particles trajectories in a tokamak, neo-classical transport in tokamaks, the bootstrap current, and ware pinch. The second part involves: particle transport in tokamaks, quasi-linear transport, resonance islands, resonance in tokamaks, from quasi to non-linear transport, and non-linear saturation of turbulence. The third part deals with: shift velocities in fluid theory, a model for inter-change instabilities, Rayleigh-Benard instability, Hasegawa-Wakatani model, and Hasegawa-Mima model. This document ends with a series of appendices dealing with: particle-wave interaction, determination of the curvature parameter G, Rossby waves.

A model for the nonlocal transport and the associated distribution function deformation in magnetized laser-plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Nicolaï, Ph.; Feugeas, J.-L.; Schurtz, G.

2006-06-01

We present a model of nonlocal transport for multidimensional radiation magneto hydrodynamic codes. In laser produced plasmas, it is now believed that the heat transfert can be strongly modified by the nonlocal nature of the electron conduction. Nevertheless other mechanisms as self generated magnetic fields may affect heat transport too. The model described in this work aims at extending the formula of G. Schurtz, Ph. Nicolaï and M. Busquet [1] to magnetized plasmas. A system of nonlocal equations is derived from kinetic equations with self-consistent electric and magnetic fields. These equations are analyzed and applied to a physical problem in order to demonstrate the main features of the model.

Modelling of boundary plasma in TOKES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Igitkhanov, Yu.; Pestchanyi, S.; Landman, I.

2009-12-01

The main purpose of this report is the development of analytical and numerical transport models of tokamak plasmas, suitable for implementation into the integrated transport code TOKES [1-4]. Therefore this work is presented as an executive guideline for numerical implementation. The tokamak edge plasma in reactor configurations is expected to be rather thin outmost area with strong radial plasma gradients inside the separatrix and the area outside the separatrix, a scrape-off layer (SOL), with open magnetic field surfaces, terminated at the divertor plates. The region beyond the separatrix plays an important role because it serves as a shield, protecting the wall from the hot plasma and bulk plasma from the penetration of impurities and because it is mostly affected by transients. The transport model, proposed here, provides plasma density, temperature and velocity distribution along and across the magnetic field lines in bulk and the edge plasma region. It describes the dependence of temperature and density at the separatrix on the plasma conditions at the plate and the efficiency of the divertor operation in detached or attached conditions, depending on power and particle sources. The calculation gives eventually the power and particle loads on the divertor plates and side walls. During numerical implementation some simple models, allowing an analytical solution, were developed and used for comparison and checking. Some parts of the transport models were also benchmarked with experimental data from various tokamaks. In the frame of this work the following tasks have been completed: - The transport model with neoclassical and anomalous coefficients for bulk plasma and 2D transport model for the SOL have been prepared and implemented into the TOKES code. The coefficients are suitable for description of stationary plasma processes in the bulk and edge tokamak plasmas. - The model of pedestal formation at the plasma edge in H-mode operation was implemented in TOKES

Probabilistic transport models for fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milligen, B.Ph. van; Carreras, B.A.; Lynch, V.E.; Sanchez, R.

2005-01-01

A generalization of diffusive (Fickian) transport is considered, in which particle motion is described by probability distributions. We design a simple model that includes a critical mechanism to switch between two transport channels, and show that it exhibits various interesting characteristics, suggesting that the ideas of probabilistic transport might provide a framework for the description of a range of unusual transport phenomena observed in fusion plasmas. The model produces power degradation and profile consistency, as well as a scaling of the confinement time with system size reminiscent of the gyro-Bohm/Bohm scalings observed in fusion plasmas, and rapid propagation of disturbances. In the present work we show how this model may also produce on-axis peaking of the profiles with off-axis fuelling. It is important to note that the fluid limit of a simple model like this, characterized by two transport channels, does not correspond to the usual (Fickian) transport models commonly used for modelling transport in fusion plasmas, and behaves in a fundamentally different way. (author)

Instabilities, turbulence and transport in a magnetized plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garbet, X.

2001-06-01

The purpose of this work is to introduce the main processes that occur in a magnetized plasma. During the last 2 decades, the understanding of turbulence has made great progress but analytical formulas and simulations are far to produce reliable predictions. The values of transport coefficients in a tokamak plasma exceed by far those predicted by the theory of collisional transport. This phenomenon is called abnormal transport and might be due to plasma fluctuations. An estimation of turbulent fluxes derived from the levels of fluctuations, is proposed. A flow description of plasma allows the understanding of most micro-instabilities. The ballooning representation deals with instabilities in a toric geometry. 3 factors play an important role to stabilize plasmas: density pinch, magnetic shear and speed shear. The flow model of plasma gives an erroneous value for the stability threshold, this is due to a bad description of the resonant interaction between wave and particle. As for dynamics, flow models can be improved by adding dissipative terms so that the linear response nears the kinetic response. The kinetic approach is more accurate but is complex because of the great number of dimensions involved. (A.C.)

Transport barriers in plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caldas, I L; Szezech, J D Jr; Kroetz, T; Marcus, F A; Roberto, M; Viana, R L; Lopes, S R

2012-01-01

We discuss the creation of transport barriers in magnetically confined plasmas with non monotonic equilibrium radial profiles. These barriers reduce the transport in the shearless region (i.e., where the twist condition does not hold). For the chaotic motion of particles in an equilibrium electric field with a nonmonotonic radial profile, perturbed by electrostatic waves, we show that a nontwist transport barrier can be created in the plasma by modifying the electric field radial profile. We also show non twist barriers in chaotic magnetic field line transport in the plasma near to the tokamak wall with resonant modes due to electric currents in external coils.

Non-diffusive transport in 3-D pressure driven plasma turbulence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Del-Castillo-Negrete, D.; Carreras, B.A.; Lynch, V.

2005-01-01

Numerical evidence of non-diffusive transport in 3-dimensional, resistive, pressure-gradient-driven plasma turbulence is presented. It is shown that the probability density function (pdf) of tracers is strongly non-Gaussian and exhibits algebraic decaying tails. To describe these results, a transport model using fractional derivative operators in proposed. The model incorporates in a unified way non-locality (i.e., non-Fickian transport), memory effects (i.e., non-Markovian transport), and non-diffusive scaling features known to be present in fusion plasmas. There is quantitative agreement between the model and the turbulent transport numerical calculations. In particular, the model reproduces the shape and space-time scaling of the pdf, and the super-diffusive scaling of the moments. (author)

Modelling dust transport in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, J.D.; Martin, J.D.; Bacharis, M.; Coppins, M.; Counsell, G.F.; Allen, J.E.; Counsell, G.F.

2008-01-01

The DTOKS code, which models dust transport through tokamak plasmas, is described. The floating potential and charge of a dust grain in a plasma and the fluxes of energy to and from it are calculated. From this model, the temperature of the dust grain can be estimated. A plasma background is supplied by a standard tokamak edge modelling code (B2SOLPS5.0), and dust transport through MAST (the Mega-Amp Spherical Tokamak) and ITER plasmas is presented. We conclude that micron-radius tungsten dust can reach the separatrix in ITER. (authors)

Integral and Lagrangian simulations of particle and radiation transport in plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christlieb, A J; Hitchon, W N G; Lawler, J E; Lister, G G

2009-01-01

Accurate integral and Lagrangian models of transport in plasmas, in which the models reflect the actual physical behaviour as closely as possible, are presented. These methods are applied to the behaviour of particles and photons in plasmas. First, to show how these types of models arise in a wide range of plasma physics applications, an application to radiation transport in a lighting discharge is given. The radiation transport is solved self-consistently with a model of the discharge to provide what are believed to be very accurate 1D simulations of fluorescent lamps. To extend these integral methods to higher dimensions is computationally very costly. The wide utility of 'treecodes' in solving massive integral problems in plasma physics is discussed, and illustrated in modelling vortex formation in a Penning trap, where a remarkably detailed simulation of vortex formation in the trap is obtained. Extension of treecode methods to other integral problems such as radiation transport is under consideration.

Effects of fueling profiles on plasma transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mense, A.T.; Houlberg, W.A.; Attenberger, S.E.; Milora, S.L.

1978-04-01

A one-dimensional (1-D), multifluid transport model is used to investigate the effects of particle fueling profiles on plasma transport in an ignition-sized tokamak (TNS). Normal diffusive properties of plasmas will likely maintain the density at the center of the discharge even if no active fueling is provided there. This significantly relaxes the requirements for fuel penetration. Not only is lower fuel penetration easier to achieve, but it may have the advantage of reducing or eliminating density gradient-driven trapped particle microinstabilities. Simulation of discrete pellet fueling indicates that relatively low velocity (approximately 10 3 m/sec) pellets may be sufficient to fuel a TNS-sized device (approximately 1.25-m minor radius), to produce a relatively broad, cool edge region of plasma which should reduce the potential for sputtering, and also to reduce the likelihood of trapped particle mode dominated transport. Low penetrating pellets containing up to 10 to 20 percent of the total plasma ions can produce fluctuations in density and temperature at the plasma edge, but the pressure profile and fusion alpha production remain almost constant

Theory of anomalous transport in toroidal helical plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, K.; Itoh, S.; Fukuyama, A.

1992-03-01

Theoretical model of the anomalous transport in Torsatron/Heliotron plasmas is developed, based on the current-diffusive interchange instability which is destabilized due to the averaged magnetic hill near edge. Analytic formula of transport coefficient is derived. This model explains the high edge transport, the power degradation and energy confinement scaling law and the enhanced heat-pulse thermal conduction. (author)

Transient heat transport studies in JET conventional and advanced tokamak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mantica, P.; Coffey, I.; Dux, R.

2003-01-01

Transient transport studies are a valuable complement to steady-state analysis for the understanding of transport mechanisms and the validation of physics-based transport models. This paper presents results from transient heat transport experiments in JET and their modelling. Edge cold pulses and modulation of ICRH (in mode conversion scheme) have been used to provide detectable electron and ion temperature perturbations. The experiments have been performed in conventional L-mode plasmas or in Advanced Tokamak regimes, in the presence of an Internal Transport Barrier (ITB). In conventional plasmas, the issues of stiffness and non-locality have been addressed. Cold pulse propagation in ITB plasmas has provided useful insight into the physics of ITB formation. The use of edge perturbations for ITB triggering has been explored. Modelling of the experimental results has been performed using both empirical models and physics-based models. Results of cold pulse experiments in ITBs have also been compared with turbulence simulations. (author)

Introduction to turbulent transport in fusion plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garbet, X.

2006-01-01

This introduction presents the main instabilities responsible for turbulence in tokamak plasmas, and the prominent features of the resulting transport. The usual techniques to construct reduced transport models are described. These models can be tested by analysing steady state and transient regimes. Another way to test the theory is to use a similarity principle, similar to the one used in fluid mechanics. Finally, the physics involved in the formation and sustainment of transport barriers is presented. (author)

Simulation of dense recombining divertor plasmas with a Navier endash Stokes neutral transport model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knoll, D.A.; McHugh, P.R.; Krasheninnikov, S.I.; Sigmar, D.J.

1996-01-01

A two-dimensional combined edge plasma Navier endash Stokes neutral transport model is presented for the simulation of dense recombining divertor plasmas. This model includes ions, electrons, and neutral atoms which undergo Coulomb collisions, electron impact ionization, ion endash neutral elastic collisions, three-body and radiative recombination, and neutral endash neutral collisions. The advanced fully implicit solution algorithm is briefly described and a variety of results on a model geometry are presented. It is shown that interesting neutral flow patterns can exist and that these flows can convect significant energy. A solution that ignores neutral endash neutral collisions is shown to be quantitatively different from one that includes neutral endash neutral collisions. Solutions are also shown to be sensitive to the plasma opacity for Lyman α radiation. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

Numerical simulation of the anomalous transport at the plasma-edge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pohn, E.

2001-03-01

In addition to the classical transport which is caused by Coloumb-collisions two further transport mechanisms take place in an inhomogeneous magnetically confined thermonuclear fusion-plasma, the neoclassical and the anomalous transport. The anomalous transport is caused by collective motion of the plasma-particles respectively turbulence and essentially affects the energy-confinement-time of the plasma. The energy-confinement-time in turn constitutes an important criterion with respect to the feasibility of using nuclear fusion for energy production. The anomalous transport is theoretically not yet well understood. By means of numerical simulations of the anomalous transport in the plasma edge, it is the intention of this work to contribute to the understanding of this transport mechanism. The Vlasov-Poisson-system constitutes the starting point for all performed simulations. This system consists of kinetic equations, which model for each particle-species the motion of the particles composing the plasma in six-dimensional phase-space. A coupling of these kinetic equations occurs due to the Poisson-equation, resulting in a nonlinear system of differential equations. The time evolution of this system was calculated numerically. On the one hand, simulations were performed where the whole velocity-space was retained. This fully-kinetic model was applied for the spatially one- as well as two-dimensional case. In the one-dimensional case only the radial direction of the plasma-edge was modeled, i.e. the direction along which the plasma joins to the vacuum. When performing the spatially two-dimensional simulations, in addition the poloidal direction has been regarded. A second set of simulations was performed using a gyro-kinetic model. In this model only the velocity-component parallel to the magnetic field vector is retained. The components perpendicular to the magnetic field vector, which are responsible for the gyration of particles, are omitted from phase-space but

Self-consistent electron transport in collisional plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mason, R.J.

1982-01-01

A self-consistent scheme has been developed to model electron transport in evolving plasmas of arbitrary classical collisionality. The electrons and ions are treated as either multiple donor-cell fluids, or collisional particles-in-cell. Particle suprathermal electrons scatter off ions, and drag against fluid background thermal electrons. The background electrons undergo ion friction, thermal coupling, and bremsstrahlung. The components move in self-consistent advanced E-fields, obtained by the Implicit Moment Method, which permits Δt >> ω/sub p/ -1 and Δx >> lambda/sub D/ - offering a 10 2 - 10 3 -fold speed-up over older explicit techniques. The fluid description for the background plasma components permits the modeling of transport in systems spanning more than a 10 7 -fold change in density, and encompassing contiguous collisional and collisionless regions. Results are presented from application of the scheme to the modeling of CO 2 laser-generated suprathermal electron transport in expanding thin foils, and in multi-foil target configurations

Plasma transport in mixed magnetic topologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hegna, C.C.; Callen, J.D.

1992-12-01

A simple model is introduced to illustrate some features concerning anomalous transport associated with magnetic turbulence. For magnetic topologies that are described as bands of stochasticity separated by regions with good flux surfaces, the transport coefficients deviate significantly from those describing completely stochastic magnetic fields. It is possible to have the electron heat diffusivity exceed a runaway electron diffusion coefficient, despite the existence of widespread magnetic stochasticity. Comparing the ratios of transport coefficients is not an accurate way to determine whether anomalous plasma transport is controlled by electrostatic or electromagnetic fluctuations

Modeling of Particle Transport on Channels and Gaps Exposed to Plasma Fluxes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieto-Perez, Martin

2008-01-01

Many problems in particle transport in fusion devices involve the transport of plasma or eroded particles through channels or gaps, such as in the case of trying to assess damage to delicate optical diagnostics collecting light through a slit or determining the deposition and codeposition on the gaps between tiles of plasma-facing components. A dynamic-composition Monte Carlo code in the spirit of TRIDYN, previously developed to study composition changes on optical mirrors subject to ion bombardment, has been upgraded to include motion of particles through a volume defined by sets of plane surfaces. Particles sputtered or reflected from the walls of the channel/gap can be tracked as well, allowing the calculation of wall impurity transport, either back to the plasma (for the case of a gap) or to components separated from the plasma by a channel/slit (for the case of optical diagnostics). Two examples of the code application to particle transport in fusion devices will be presented in this work: one will evaluate the erosion/impurity deposition rate on a mirror separated from a plasma source by a slit; the other case will look at the enhanced emission of tile material in the region of the gap between two tiles

Modelling of transport phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, Kimitaka; Itoh, Sanae; Fukuyama, Atsushi.

1993-09-01

In this review article, we discuss key features of the transport phenomena and theoretical modelling to understand them. Experimental observations have revealed the nature of anomalous transport, i.e., the enhancement of the transport coefficients by the gradients of the plasma profiles, the pinch phenomena, the radial profile of the anomalous transport coefficients, the variation of the transport among the Bohm diffusion, Pseudo-classical confinement, L-mode and variety of improved confinement modes, and the sudden jumps such as L-H transition. Starting from the formalism of the transport matrix, the modelling based on the low frequency instabilities are reviewed. Theoretical results in the range of drift wave frequency are examined. Problems in theories based on the quasilinear and mixing-length estimates lead to the renewal of the turbulence theory, and the physics picture of the self-sustained turbulence is discussed. The theory of transport using the fluid equation of plasma is developed, showing that the new approach is very promising in explaining abovementioned characteristics of anomalous transport in both L-mode and improved confinement plasmas. The interference of the fluxes is the key to construct the physics basis of the bifurcation theory for the L-H transition. The present status of theories on the mechanisms of improved confinement is discussed. Modelling on the nonlocal nature of transport is briefly discussed. Finally, the impact of the anomalous transport on disruptive phenomena is also described. (author) 95 refs

A model for the nonlocal transport and the associated distribution function deformation in magnetized laser-plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nicolai, Ph.; Feugeas, J.L.; Schurtz, G.

2006-01-01

We present a model of nonlocal transport for multidimensional radiation magneto hydrodynamic codes. In laser-produced plasmas, it is now believed that the heat transfer can be strongly modified by the nonlocal nature of the electron conduction. Nevertheless other mechanisms as self generated magnetic fields may affect heat transport too. The model described in this work aims at extending the formula of G. Schurtz, Ph. Nicolai and M. Busquet to magnetized plasmas. A system of nonlocal equations is derived from kinetic equations with self-consistent electric and magnetic fields. These equations are analyzed and applied to a physical problem in order to demonstrate the main features of the model. This new model should improve the prediction and the interpretation of the laser experiments, in particular when the non-local model alone does not seem sufficient to reproduce the experimental results. This model is being implemented in a new 2-dimensional hydrodynamic code

A model for the nonlocal transport and the associated distribution function deformation in magnetized laser-plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nicolai, Ph.; Feugeas, J.L.; Schurtz, G. [Bordeaux-1 Univ., Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications (UMR 5107) CEA-CNRS, 33 - Talence (France)

2006-06-15

We present a model of nonlocal transport for multidimensional radiation magneto hydrodynamic codes. In laser-produced plasmas, it is now believed that the heat transfer can be strongly modified by the nonlocal nature of the electron conduction. Nevertheless other mechanisms as self generated magnetic fields may affect heat transport too. The model described in this work aims at extending the formula of G. Schurtz, Ph. Nicolai and M. Busquet to magnetized plasmas. A system of nonlocal equations is derived from kinetic equations with self-consistent electric and magnetic fields. These equations are analyzed and applied to a physical problem in order to demonstrate the main features of the model. This new model should improve the prediction and the interpretation of the laser experiments, in particular when the non-local model alone does not seem sufficient to reproduce the experimental results. This model is being implemented in a new 2-dimensional hydrodynamic code.

Reversed-Field Pinch plasma model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miley, G.H.; Nebel, R.A.; Moses, R.W.

1979-01-01

The stability of a Reversed-Field Pinch (RFP) is strongly dependent on the plasma profile and the confining sheared magnetic field. Magnetic diffusion and thermal transport produce changing conditions of stability. Despite the limited understanding of RFP transport, modelling is important to predict general trends and to study possible field programming options. To study the ZT-40 experiment and to predict the performance of future RFP reactors, a one-dimensional transport code has been developed. This code includes a linear, ideal MHD stability check based on an energy principle. The transport section integrates plasma profiles forward in time while the stability section periodically checks the stability of the evolving plasma profile

RMP-Flutter-Induced Pedestal Plasma Transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Callen, J. D.; Hegna, C., E-mail: callen@engr.wisc.edu [University of Wisconsin, Madison (United States); Cole, A. J. [Columbia University, New York (United States)

2012-09-15

Full text: Plasma toroidal rotation can prevent or limit reconnection of externally applied resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) fields {delta}B on rational magnetic flux surfaces. Hence, it causes the induced radial perturbations to vanish or be small there, and thereby inhibits magnetic island formation and stochasticity in the edge of high (H-mode) confinement tokamak plasmas. However, the radial component of the spatial magnetic flutter induced by RMP fields off rational surfaces causes a radial electron thermal diffusivity of (1/2)({delta}B{sub p}/B){sup 2} times a magnetic-shear-influenced effective parallel electron thermal diffusivity. The resultant RMP-flutter-induced electron thermal diffusivity can be comparable to experimentally inferred values at the top of H-mode pedestals. This process also causes a factor of about 3 smaller RMP-induced electron density diffusivity there. Because this electron density transport is non-ambipolar, it produces a toroidal torque on the plasma, which is usually in the co-current direction. Kinetic-based cylindrical screw-pinch and toroidal models of these RMP-flutter-induced plasma transport effects have been developed. The RMP-induced increases in these diffusive plasma transport processes are typically spatially inhomogeneous in that they are strongly peaked near the rational surfaces in low collisionality pedestals, which may lead to resonant sensitivities to the local safety factor q. The effects can be large enough to reduce the radially averaged gradients of the electron temperature and density at the top of H-mode edge pedestals, and modify the plasma toroidal rotation and radial electric field there. At high collisionality the various effects are less strongly peaked at rational surfaces and thus less likely to exhibit RMP-induced resonant behavior. These RMP-flutter-induced plasma transport processes provide a new paradigm for developing an understanding of how RMPs modify the pedestal structure to stabilize

Two-zone model for the transport of wall released impurities in the edge plasma of a limiter tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Claassen, H.A.; Gerhauser, H.

1987-02-01

The transmission of a Gaussian metal impurity pulse uniformly injected from the torus wall is studied within a two-zone plasma model, which separates the plasma into scrape-off layer and plasma core and allows for discontinuous changes of the plasma parameters at the separatrix. The plasma parameters are supposed to ensure a collision dominated scrape-off plasma, in which case we may restrict the solution of the transport equations to its zero order approximation. (orig./GG)

Integrated heat transport simulation of high ion temperature plasma of LHD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murakami, S.; Yamaguchi, H.; Sakai, A.

2014-10-01

A first dynamical simulation of high ion temperature plasma with carbon pellet injection of LHD is performed by the integrated simulation GNET-TD + TASK3D. NBI heating deposition of time evolving plasma is evaluated by the 5D drift kinetic equation solver, GNET-TD and the heat transport of multi-ion species plasma (e, H, He, C) is studied by the integrated transport simulation code, TASK3D. Achievement of high ion temperature plasma is attributed to the 1) increase of heating power per ion due to the temporal increase of effective charge, 2) reduction of effective neoclassical transport with impurities, 3) reduction of turbulence transport. The reduction of turbulence transport is most significant contribution to achieve the high ion temperature and the reduction of the turbulent transport from the L-mode plasma (normal hydrogen plasma) is evaluated to be a factor about five by using integrated heat transport simulation code. Applying the Z effective dependent turbulent reduction model we obtain a similar time behavior of ion temperature after the C pellet injection with the experimental results. (author)

TFTR/JET INTOR workshop on plasma transport tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singer, C.E.

1985-01-01

This report summarizes the proceedings of a Workshop on transport models for prediction and analysis of tokamak plasma confinement. Summaries of papers on theory, predictive modeling, and data analysis are included

A simple highly accurate field-line mapping technique for three-dimensional Monte Carlo modeling of plasma edge transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Y.; Sardei, F.; Kisslinger, J.

2005-01-01

The paper presents a new simple and accurate numerical field-line mapping technique providing a high-quality representation of field lines as required by a Monte Carlo modeling of plasma edge transport in the complex magnetic boundaries of three-dimensional (3D) toroidal fusion devices. Using a toroidal sequence of precomputed 3D finite flux-tube meshes, the method advances field lines through a simple bilinear, forward/backward symmetric interpolation at the interfaces between two adjacent flux tubes. It is a reversible field-line mapping (RFLM) algorithm ensuring a continuous and unique reconstruction of field lines at any point of the 3D boundary. The reversibility property has a strong impact on the efficiency of modeling the highly anisotropic plasma edge transport in general closed or open configurations of arbitrary ergodicity as it avoids artificial cross-field diffusion of the fast parallel transport. For stellarator-symmetric magnetic configurations, which are the standard case for stellarators, the reversibility additionally provides an average cancellation of the radial interpolation errors of field lines circulating around closed magnetic flux surfaces. The RFLM technique has been implemented in the 3D edge transport code EMC3-EIRENE and is used routinely for plasma transport modeling in the boundaries of several low-shear and high-shear stellarators as well as in the boundary of a tokamak with 3D magnetic edge perturbations

Fundamental aspects of plasma chemical physics transport

CERN Document Server

Capitelli, Mario; Laricchiuta, Annarita

2013-01-01

Fundamental Aspects of Plasma Chemical Physics: Tranpsort develops basic and advanced concepts of plasma transport to the modern treatment of the Chapman-Enskog method for the solution of the Boltzmann transport equation. The book invites the reader to consider actual problems of the transport of thermal plasmas with particular attention to the derivation of diffusion- and viscosity-type transport cross sections, stressing the role of resonant charge-exchange processes in affecting the diffusion-type collision calculation of viscosity-type collision integrals. A wide range of topics is then discussed including (1) the effect of non-equilibrium vibrational distributions on the transport of vibrational energy, (2) the role of electronically excited states in the transport properties of thermal plasmas, (3) the dependence of transport properties on the multitude of Saha equations for multi-temperature plasmas, and (4) the effect of the magnetic field on transport properties. Throughout the book, worked examples ...

Perturbative transport experiments in JET Advanced Tokamak plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mantica, P.; Gorini, G.; Sozzi, C. [Istituto di Fisica del Plasma, EURATOM-ENEA-CNR Association, Milan (Italy); Imbeaux, F.; Sarazin, Y.; Garbet, X. [Association Euratom-CEA, St. Paul-lez-Durance Cedex (France); Kinsey, J. [Lehigh Univ., Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (United States); Budny, R. [Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, New Jersey (United States); Coffey, I.; Parail, V.; Walden, A. [Euratom/UKAEA Fusion Association, Abingdon, Oxon (United Kingdom); Dux, R. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik, Garching (Germany); Garzotti, L. [Istituto Gas Ionizzati, Padova (Italy); Ingesson, C. [FOM-Instituut voor Plasmafysica, Nieuwegein (Netherlands); Kissick, M. [University of California, Los Angeles (United States)

2003-07-01

Perturbative transport experiments have been performed in JET Advanced Tokamak plasmas either in conditions of fully developed Internal Transport Barrier (ITB) or during a phase where an ITB was not observed. Transient peripheral cooling was induced by either Laser Ablation or Shallow Pellet Injection and the ensuing travelling cold pulse was used to probe the plasma transport in the electron and, for the first time, also in the ion channel. Cold pulses travelling through ITBs are observed to erode the ITB outer part, but, if the inner ITB portion survives, it strongly damps the propagating wave. The result is discussed in the context of proposed possible pictures for ITB formation. In the absence of an ITB, the cold pulse shows a fast propagation in the outer plasma half, which is consistent with a region of stiff transport, while in the inner half it slows down but shows the peculiar feature of amplitude growing while propagating. The data are powerful tests for the validation of theoretical transport models. (author)

Turbulent transport modeling in the edge plasma of tokamaks: verification, validation, simulation and synthetic diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colin-Bellot, Clothilde

2015-01-01

The possibility to produce power by using magnetically confined fusion is a scientific and technological challenge. The perspective of ITER conveys strong signals to intensify modeling effort on magnetized fusion plasmas. The success of the fusion operation is conditioned by the quality of plasma confinement in the core of the reactor and by the control of plasma exhaust on the wall. Both phenomena are related to turbulent cross-field transport that is at the heart of the notion of magnetic confinement studies, particle and heat losses. The study of edge phenomena is therefore complicated by a particularly complex magnetic geometry.This calls for an improvement of our capacity to develop numerical tools able to reproduce turbulent transport properties reliable to predict particle and energy fluxes on the plasma facing components. This thesis introduces the TOKAM3X fluid model to simulate edge plasma turbulence. A special focus is made on the code Verification and the Validation. It is a necessary step before using a code as a predictive tool. Then new insights on physical properties of the edge plasma turbulence are explored. In particular, the poloidal asymmetries induced by turbulence and observed experimentally in the Low-Field-Side of the devices are investigated in details. Great care is dedicated to the reproduction of the MISTRAL base case which consists in changing the magnetic configuration and observing the impact on parallel flows in the poloidal plane. The simulations recover experimental measurements and provide new insights on the effect of the plasma-wall contact position location on the turbulent features, which were not accessible in experiments. (author) [fr

Large plasma pressure perturbations and radial convective transport in a tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krasheninnikov, Sergei; Yu, Guanghui; Ryutov, Dmitri

2004-01-01

Strongly localized plasma structures with large pressure inhomogeneities (such as plasma blobs in the scrape-off-layer (SOL)/shadow regions, pellet clouds, Edge localized Modes (ELMs)) observed in the tokamaks, stellarators and linear plasma devices. Experimental studies of these phenomena reveal striking similarities including more convective rather than diffusive radial plasma transport. We suggest that rather simple models can describe many essentials of blobs, ELMs, and pellet clouds dynamics. The main ingredient of these models is the effective plasma gravity caused by magnetic curvature, centrifugal or friction forces effects. As a result, the equations governing plasma transport in such localized structures appear to be rather similar to that used to describe nonlinear evolution of thermal convection in the Boussinesq approximation (directly related to the Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability). (author)

A model for the biosynthesis and transport of plasma membrane-associated signaling receptors to the cell surface

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sorina Claudia Popescu

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Intracellular protein transport is emerging as critical in determining the outcome of receptor-activated signal transduction pathways. In plants, relatively little is known about the nature of the molecular components and mechanisms involved in coordinating receptor synthesis and transport to the cell surface. Recent advances in this field indicate that signaling pathways and intracellular transport machinery converge and coordinate to render receptors competent for signaling at their plasma membrane activity sites. The biogenesis and transport to the cell surface of signaling receptors appears to require both general trafficking and receptor-specific factors. Several molecular determinants, residing or associated with compartments of the secretory pathway and known to influence aspects in receptor biogenesis, are discussed and integrated into a predictive cooperative model for the functional expression of signaling receptors at the plasma membrane.

Fractional calculus phenomenology in two-dimensional plasma models

Science.gov (United States)

Gustafson, Kyle; Del Castillo Negrete, Diego; Dorland, Bill

2006-10-01

Transport processes in confined plasmas for fusion experiments, such as ITER, are not well-understood at the basic level of fully nonlinear, three-dimensional kinetic physics. Turbulent transport is invoked to describe the observed levels in tokamaks, which are orders of magnitude greater than the theoretical predictions. Recent results show the ability of a non-diffusive transport model to describe numerical observations of turbulent transport. For example, resistive MHD modeling of tracer particle transport in pressure-gradient driven turbulence for a three-dimensional plasma reveals that the superdiffusive (2̂˜t^α where α> 1) radial transport in this system is described quantitatively by a fractional diffusion equation Fractional calculus is a generalization involving integro-differential operators, which naturally describe non-local behaviors. Our previous work showed the quantitative agreement of special fractional diffusion equation solutions with numerical tracer particle flows in time-dependent linearized dynamics of the Hasegawa-Mima equation (for poloidal transport in a two-dimensional cold-ion plasma). In pursuit of a fractional diffusion model for transport in a gyrokinetic plasma, we now present numerical results from tracer particle transport in the nonlinear Hasegawa-Mima equation and a planar gyrokinetic model. Finite Larmor radius effects will be discussed. D. del Castillo Negrete, et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 065003 (2005).

Energy transport in laser produced plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Key, M.H.

1989-06-01

The study of energy transport in laser produced plasmas is of great interest both because it tests and develops understanding of several aspects of basic plasma physics and also because it is of central importance in major applications of laser produced plasmas including laser fusion, the production of intense X-ray sources, and X-ray lasers. The three sections cover thermal electrons (energy transport in one dimension, plane targets and lateral transport from a focal spot, thermal smoothing, thermal instabilities), hot electrons (preheating in one dimension, lateral transport from a focal spot) and radiation (preheating in one dimension, lateral transport and smoothing, instabilities). (author)

The critical temperature gradient model of plasma transport: applications to Jet and future tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rebut, P.H.; Lallia, P.P.; Watkins, M.L.

1989-01-01

The diversity and complexity of behaviour in tokamak plasmas place strong constraints on any model attempting a description in terms of a single underlying phenomenon. Assuming that turbulence in the magnetic topology is the underlying phenomenon, specific expressions for electron and ion heat flux are derived from heuristic and dimensional arguments. When used in plasma transport codes, rather satisfactory simulations of experimental results are achieved in different sized tokamaks in various regimes of operation. Predictions are given for the expected performance of JET at full planned power and implications for next step tokamaks are indicated

Benchmark of the local drift-kinetic models for neoclassical transport simulation in helical plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, B.; Satake, S.; Kanno, R.; Sugama, H.; Matsuoka, S.

2017-02-01

The benchmarks of the neoclassical transport codes based on the several local drift-kinetic models are reported here. Here, the drift-kinetic models are zero orbit width (ZOW), zero magnetic drift, DKES-like, and global, as classified in Matsuoka et al. [Phys. Plasmas 22, 072511 (2015)]. The magnetic geometries of Helically Symmetric Experiment, Large Helical Device (LHD), and Wendelstein 7-X are employed in the benchmarks. It is found that the assumption of E ×B incompressibility causes discrepancy of neoclassical radial flux and parallel flow among the models when E ×B is sufficiently large compared to the magnetic drift velocities. For example, Mp≤0.4 where Mp is the poloidal Mach number. On the other hand, when E ×B and the magnetic drift velocities are comparable, the tangential magnetic drift, which is included in both the global and ZOW models, fills the role of suppressing unphysical peaking of neoclassical radial-fluxes found in the other local models at Er≃0 . In low collisionality plasmas, in particular, the tangential drift effect works well to suppress such unphysical behavior of the radial transport caused in the simulations. It is demonstrated that the ZOW model has the advantage of mitigating the unphysical behavior in the several magnetic geometries, and that it also implements the evaluation of bootstrap current in LHD with the low computation cost compared to the global model.

Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Turbulent Transport Control via Shaping of Radial Plasma Flow Profiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilmore, Mark Allen

2017-01-01

Turbulence, and turbulence-driven transport are ubiquitous in magnetically confined plasmas, where there is an intimate relationship between turbulence, transport, instability driving mechanisms (such as gradients), plasma flows, and flow shear. Though many of the detailed physics of the interrelationship between turbulence, transport, drive mechanisms, and flow remain unclear, there have been many demonstrations that transport and/or turbulence can be suppressed or reduced via manipulations of plasma flow profiles. This is well known in magnetic fusion plasmas [e.g., high confinement mode (H-mode) and internal transport barriers (ITB's)], and has also been demonstrated in laboratory plasmas. However, it may be that the levels of particle transport obtained in such cases [e.g. H-mode, ITB's] are actually lower than is desirable for a practical fusion device. Ideally, one would be able to actively feedback control the turbulent transport, via manipulation of the flow profiles. The purpose of this research was to investigate the feasibility of using both advanced model-based control algorithms, as well as non-model-based algorithms, to control cross-field turbulence-driven particle transport through appropriate manipulation of radial plasma flow profiles. The University of New Mexico was responsible for the experimental portion of the project, while our collaborators at the University of Montana provided plasma transport modeling, and collaborators at Lehigh University developed and explored control methods.

Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Turbulent Transport Control via Shaping of Radial Plasma Flow Profiles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gilmore, Mark Allen [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-02-05

Turbulence, and turbulence-driven transport are ubiquitous in magnetically confined plasmas, where there is an intimate relationship between turbulence, transport, instability driving mechanisms (such as gradients), plasma flows, and flow shear. Though many of the detailed physics of the interrelationship between turbulence, transport, drive mechanisms, and flow remain unclear, there have been many demonstrations that transport and/or turbulence can be suppressed or reduced via manipulations of plasma flow profiles. This is well known in magnetic fusion plasmas [e.g., high confinement mode (H-mode) and internal transport barriers (ITB’s)], and has also been demonstrated in laboratory plasmas. However, it may be that the levels of particle transport obtained in such cases [e.g. H-mode, ITB’s] are actually lower than is desirable for a practical fusion device. Ideally, one would be able to actively feedback control the turbulent transport, via manipulation of the flow profiles. The purpose of this research was to investigate the feasibility of using both advanced model-based control algorithms, as well as non-model-based algorithms, to control cross-field turbulence-driven particle transport through appropriate manipulation of radial plasma flow profiles. The University of New Mexico was responsible for the experimental portion of the project, while our collaborators at the University of Montana provided plasma transport modeling, and collaborators at Lehigh University developed and explored control methods.

A phenomenological model for cross-field plasma transport in non-ambipolar scrape-off layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

LaBombard, B.; Grossman, A.A.; Conn, R.W.

1990-01-01

A simplified two-fluid transport model which includes phenomenological coefficients of particle diffusion, mobility, and thermal diffusivity is used to investigate the effects of nonambipolar particle transport on scrape-off layer (SOL) plasma profiles. A computer code (BSOLRAD3) has been written to iteratively solve for 2-D cross-field density, potential, and electron temperature profiles for arbitrary boundary conditions, including segments of 'limiters' that are electrically conducting or non-conducting. Numerical results are presented for two test cases: (1) a 1-D slab geometry showing the interdependency of the density, potential, and temperature gradient scale lengths on particle diffusion, mobility, and thermal diffusivity coefficients and limiter bias conditions, and (2) a 2-D geometry illustrating ExB plasma flow effects. It is shown that the SOL profiles can be quite sensitive to non-ambipolarity conditions imposed by the limiter and, in particular, whether the limiter surfaces are biased. Such effects, if overlooked in SOL transport analysis, can lead to erroreous conclusions about the magnitude of the local ambipolar diffusion coefficient. (orig.)

Kinetic transport in a magnetically confined and flux-constrained fusion plasma; Transport cinetique dans un plasma de fusion magnetique a flux force

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Darmet, G

2007-11-15

This work deals with the kinetic transport in a fusion plasma magnetically confined and flux-constrained. The author proposes a new interpretation of the dynamics of zonal flows. The model that has been studied is a gyrokinetic model reduced to the transport of trapped ions. The inter-change stability that is generated allows the study of the kinetic transport of trapped ions. This model has a threshold instability and can be simulated over a few tens confining time for either thermal bath constraint or flux constraint. For thermal baths constraint, the simulation shows a metastable state where zonal flows are prevailing while turbulence is non-existent. In the case of a flux-constraint, zonal flows appear and relax by exchanging energy with system's kinetic energy and turbulence energy. The competition between zonal flows and turbulence can be then simulated by a predator-prey model. 2 regimes can be featured out: an improved confining regime where zonal flows dominate transport and a turbulent regime where zonal flows and turbulent transport are of the same magnitude order. We show that flux as well as the Reynolds tensor play an important role in the dynamics of the zonal flows and that the gyrokinetic description is relevant for all plasma regions. (A.C.)

Collisional transport in nonneutral plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubin, D.H.E.

1999-01-01

Classical transport theory grossly underestimates collisionally-driven cross-field transport for plasmas in the parameter regime of r c D , where r c ≡ v-bar/Ω c , λ D 2 ≡ T/4πe 2 n. In current experiments operating in this regime, cross-field test particle transport is observed to be a factor of 10 larger than the prediction of classical theory. Heat conduction is enhanced by up to 300 times over classical theory, and viscosity is up to 10 4 times larger. New guiding center theories of transport due to long-range collisions have been developed that agree with the measurements. Theory also predicts that emission and absorption of plasma waves may further enhance the thermal conduction and viscosity, providing a possible mechanism for anomalous thermal conductivity in the electron channel of fusion plasmas. (author)

Numerical studies of transport processes in Tokamak plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spineanu, F.; Vlad, M.

1984-09-01

The paper contains the summary of a set of studies of the transport processes in tokamak plasma, performed with a one-dimensional computer code. The various transport models (which are implemented by the expressions of the transport coefficients) are presented in connection with the regimes of the dynamical development of the discharge. Results of studies concerning the skin effect and the large scale MHD instabilities are also included

Turbulent transport in low-beta plasmas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, A.H.; Pécseli, H.L.; Juul Rasmussen, J.

1996-01-01

Low-frequency electrostatic fluctuations are studied experimentally in a low-P plasma, with particular attention to their importance for the anomalous plasma transport across magnetic field lines. The presence of large coherent structures in a turbulent background at the edge of the plasma column...... is demonstrated by a statistical analysis. The importance of these structures for the turbulent transport is investigated. The study is extended by a multichannel conditional analysis to illustrate detailed properties and parameter dependences of the turbulent transport. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics....

Nonlinear dynamics and plasma transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, C.S.; Sagdeev, R.; Antonsen, T.; Drake, J.; Hassma, A.; Guzdar, P.N.

1995-12-01

This progress report reports work done on a program in nonlinear dynamical aspects of plasma turbulence and transport funded by DOE from 1992-1995. The purpose of this program has been to promote the utilization of recent pathbreaking developments in nonlinear science in plasma turbulence and transport and to fully utilize the scientific expertise of Russian fusion and plasma community in collaboration with our group to address outstanding fusion theory problems. In the work reported in our progress report, we have studied simple models which are motivated by observation on actual fusion devices. The models focus on the important physical processes without incorporating the complexity of the geometry of real devices. We have also studied linear stability problems which incorporated important physics issues related to geometry involving closed field lines and open field lines. This allows for a deeper analysis and understanding of the system both analytically and numerically. The strong collaboration between the Russian visitors and the US participants has led to a fruitful and strong research program that taps the complementary analytic and numerical capabilities of the two groups. Over the years several distinguished Russian visitors have interacted with various members of the group and set up collaborative work which forms a significant part of proposed research. Dr. Galeev, Director of the Space Research Institute of Moscow and Dr. Novakovskii from the Kurchatov Institute are two such ongoing collaborations. 21 refs

Plasma stream transport method (2) Use of charge exchange plasma source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuchimoto, T.

1978-01-01

The plasma stream transport method using a single plasma source has limitations for practical film deposition. Using a charge exchange phenomenon, a new plasma source is devised and tested by the plasma stream transport machine. Metals, silicon dioxide, and nitride films are deposited by this system. The mechanism of deposition under relatively high vacuum surrounding a silicon wafer is discussed as is the effect of radical atoms

Transport in zonal flows in analogous geophysical and plasma systems

Science.gov (United States)

del-Castillo-Negrete, Diego

1999-11-01

Zonal flows occur naturally in the oceans and the atmosphere of planets. Important examples include the zonal flows in Jupiter, the stratospheric polar jet in Antarctica, and oceanic jets like the Gulf Stream. These zonal flows create transport barriers that have a crucial influence on mixing and confinement (e.g. the ozone depletion in Antarctica). Zonal flows also give rise to long-lasting vortices (e.g. the Jupiter red spot) by shear instability. Because of this, the formation and stability of zonal flows and their role on transport have been problems of great interest in geophysical fluid dynamics. On the other hand, zonal flows have also been observed in fusion plasmas and their impact on the reduction of transport has been widely recognized. Based on the well-known analogy between Rossby waves in quasigeostrophic flows and drift waves in magnetically confined plasmas, I will discuss the relevance to fusion plasmas of models and experiments recently developed in geophysical fluid dynamics. Also, the potential application of plasma physics ideas to geophysical flows will be discussed. The role of shear in the suppression of transport and the effect of zonal flows on the statistics of transport will be studied using simplified models. It will be shown how zonal flows induce large particle displacements that can be characterized as Lévy flights, and that the trapping effect of vortices combined with the zonal flows gives rise to anomalous diffusion and Lévy (non-Gaussian) statistics. The models will be compared with laboratory experiments and with atmospheric and oceanographic qualitative observations.

Plasma transport across a braided magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stix, T.H.

1978-01-01

Simple fluid and particle models are used to estimate the transport of density, current, and electron heat for a plasma immersed in a region through which magnetic lines of force meander in a stochastic fashion and in which magnetic surfaces are destroyed. (author)

New approach in two-dimensional fluid modeling of edge plasma transport with high intermittency due to blobs and edge localized modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pigarov, A. Yu.; Krasheninnikov, S. I.; Rognlien, T. D.

2011-01-01

A new approach is proposed to simulate intermittent, non-diffusive plasma transport (via blobs and filaments of edge localized modes (ELMs)) observed in the tokamak edge region within the framework of two-dimensional transport codes. This approach combines the inherently three-dimensional filamentary structures associated with an ensemble of blobs into a macro-blob in the two-dimensional poloidal cross-section and advects the macro-blob ballistically across the magnetic field, B. Intermittent transport is represented as a sequence of macro-blobs appropriately seeded in the edge plasma according to experimental statistics. In this case, the code is capable of reproducing both the long-scale temporal evolution of the background plasma and the fast spatiotemporal dynamics of blobs. We report the results from a two-dimensional edge plasma code modeling of a single macro-blob dynamics, and its interaction with initially stationary background plasma as well as with material surfaces. The mechanisms of edge plasma particle and energy losses from macro-blobs are analyzed. The effects of macro-blob sizes and advection velocity on edge plasma profiles are studied. The macro-blob impact on power loading and sputtering rates on the chamber wall and on inner and outer divertor plates is discussed. Temporal evolution of particle inventory of the edge plasma perturbed by macro-blobs is analyzed. Application of macro-blobs to ELM modeling is highlighted.

Theory of anomalous transport in H-mode plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, S.; Itoh, K.; Fukuyama, A.; Yagi, M.

1993-05-01

Theory of the anomalous transport is developed, and the unified formula for the L- and H-mode plasmas is presented. The self-sustained ballooning-mode turbulence is solved in the presence of the inhomogeneous radial electric field, E r . Reductions in transport coefficients and the amplitude and decorrelation length of fluctuations due to E r ' are quantitatively analyzed. Combined with the E r -bifurcation model, the thickness of the transport barrier is simultaneously determined. (author)

Calculation of Transport Coefficients in Dense Plasma Mixtures

Science.gov (United States)

Haxhimali, T.; Cabot, W. H.; Caspersen, K. J.; Greenough, J.; Miller, P. L.; Rudd, R. E.; Schwegler, E. R.

2011-10-01

We use classical molecular dynamics (MD) to estimate species diffusivity and viscosity in mixed dense plasmas. The Yukawa potential is used to describe the screened Coulomb interaction between the ions. This potential has been used widely, providing the basis for models of dense stellar materials, inertial confined plasmas, and colloidal particles in electrolytes. We calculate transport coefficients in equilibrium simulations using the Green- Kubo relation over a range of thermodynamic conditions including the viscosity and the self - diffusivity for each component of the mixture. The interdiffusivity (or mutual diffusivity) can then be related to the self-diffusivities by using a generalization of the Darken equation. We have also employed non-equilibrium MD to estimate interdiffusivity during the broadening of the interface between two regions each with a high concentration of either species. Here we present results for an asymmetric mixture between Ar and H. These can easily be extended to other plasma mixtures. A main motivation for this study is to develop accurate transport models that can be incorporated into the hydrodynamic codes to study hydrodynamic instabilities. We use classical molecular dynamics (MD) to estimate species diffusivity and viscosity in mixed dense plasmas. The Yukawa potential is used to describe the screened Coulomb interaction between the ions. This potential has been used widely, providing the basis for models of dense stellar materials, inertial confined plasmas, and colloidal particles in electrolytes. We calculate transport coefficients in equilibrium simulations using the Green- Kubo relation over a range of thermodynamic conditions including the viscosity and the self - diffusivity for each component of the mixture. The interdiffusivity (or mutual diffusivity) can then be related to the self-diffusivities by using a generalization of the Darken equation. We have also employed non-equilibrium MD to estimate interdiffusivity during

Multi-physics modeling of plasma-material interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Lasa, Ane; Green, David; Canik, John; Younkin, Timothy; Blondel, Sophie; Wirth, Brian; Drobny, Jon; Curreli, Davide

2017-10-01

Plasma-material interactions (PMI) can degrade both plasma and material properties. Often, PMI modeling focuses on either the plasma or surface. Here, we present an integrated model with high-fidelity codes coupled within the IPS framework that self-consistently addresses PMI. The model includes, calculation of spatially resolved influx of plasma and impurities to the surface and their implantation; surface erosion and roughening; evolution of implanted species and sub-surface composition; and transport of eroded particles across the plasma and their re-deposition. The model is applied and successfully compared to dedicated PISCES linear device experiments, where a tungsten (W) target was exposed to helium (He) plasma. The present contribution will focus on the analysis of W erosion, He retention and sub-surface gas bubble and surface composition evolution, under the different He plasma conditions across the surface that are calculated by impurity transport modeling. Impact of code coupling, reflected as interplay between surface erosion, fuel / impurity implantation and retention, and evolution of target composition, as well as sensitivity of these processes to plasma exposure conditions is also analyzed in detail. This work is supported by the US DOE under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725.

Calculation of transport coefficients in an axisymmetric plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shumaker, D.E.

1976-01-01

A method of calculating the transport coefficient in an axisymmetric toroidal plasma is presented. This method is useful in calculating the transport coefficients in a Tokamak plasma confinement device. The particle density and temperature are shown to be a constant on a magnetic flux surface. Transport equations are given for the total particle flux and total energy flux crossing a closed toroidal surface. Also transport equations are given for the toroidal magnetic flux. A computer code was written to calculate the transport coefficients for a three species plasma, electrons and two species of ions. This is useful for calculating the transport coefficients of a plasma which contains impurities. It was found that the particle and energy transport coefficients are increased by a large amount, and the transport coefficients for the toroidal magnetic field are reduced by a small amount. For example, a deuterium plasma with 1.3 percent oxygen, one of the particle transport coefficients is increased by a factor of about four. The transport coefficients for the toroidal magnetic flux are reduced by about 20 percent. The increase in the particle transport coefficient is due to the collisional scattering of the deuterons by the heavy oxygen ions which is larger than the deuteron electron scattering, the normal process for particle transport in a two species plasma. The reduction in the toroidal magnetic flux transport coefficients are left unexplained

On helicon wave induced radial plasma transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrzilka, V.

1993-04-01

Estimates of helicon wave induced radial plasma transport are presented. The wave induced transport grows or decreases in dependence on the sign of the azimuthal wave number; these changes in transport may play an important role in helicon wave plasma sources. (author) 5 figs., 18 refs

BALDUR: a one-dimensional plasma transport code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singer, C.E.; Post, D.E.; Mikkelsen, D.R.

1986-07-01

The purpose of BALDUR is to calculate the evolution of plasma parameters in an MHD equilibrium which can be approximated by concentric circular flux surfaces. Transport of up to six species of ionized particles, of electron and ion energy, and of poloidal magnetic flux is computed. A wide variety of source terms are calculated including those due to neutral gas, fusion, and auxiliary heating. The code is primarily designed for modeling tokamak plasmas but could be adapted to other toroidal confinement systems

Plasma edge and plasma-wall interaction modelling: Lessons learned from metallic devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Wiesen

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Robust power exhaust schemes employing impurity seeding are needed for target operational scenarios in present day tokamak devices with metallic plasma-facing components (PFCs. For an electricity-producing fusion power plant at power density Psep/R>15MW/m divertor detachment is a requirement for heat load mitigation. 2D plasma edge transport codes like the SOLPS code as well as plasma-wall interaction (PWI codes are key to disentangle relevant physical processes in power and particle exhaust. With increased quantitative credibility in such codes more realistic and physically sound estimates of the life-time expectations and performance of metallic PFCs can be accomplished for divertor conditions relevant for ITER and DEMO. An overview is given on the recent progress of plasma edge and PWI modelling activities for (carbon-free metallic devices, that include results from JET with the ITER-like wall, ASDEX Upgrade and Alcator C-mod. It is observed that metallic devices offer an opportunity to progress the understanding of underlying plasma physics processes in the edge. The validation of models can be substantially improved by eliminating carbon from the experiment as well as from the numerical system with reduced degrees of freedom as no chemical sputtering from amorphous carbon layers and no carbon or hydro-carbon transport are present. With the absence of carbon as the primary plasma impurity and given the fact that the physics of the PWI at metallic walls is less complex it is possible to isolate the crucial plasma physics processes relevant for particle and power exhaust. For a reliable 2D dissipative plasma exhaust model these are: cross-field drifts, complete kinetic neutral physics, geometry effects (including main-chamber, divertor and sub-divertor structures, SOL transport reflecting also the non-diffusive nature of anomalous transport, as well as transport within the pedestal region in case of significant edge impurity radiation

Calculation of transport coefficients in an axisymmetric plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shumaker, D.E.

1977-01-01

A method of calculating the transport coefficient in an axisymmetric toroidal plasma is presented. This method is useful in calculating the transport coefficients in a Tokamak plasma confinement device. The particle density and temperature are shown to be a constant on a magnetic flux surface. Transport equations are given for the total particle flux and total energy flux crossing a closed toroidal surface. Also transport equations are given for the toroidal magnetic flux. A computer code was written to calculate the transport coefficients for a three species plasma, electrons and two species of ions. This is useful for calculating the transport coefficients of a plasma which contains impurities. It was found that the particle and energy transport coefficients are increased by a large amount, and the transport coefficients for the toroidal magnetic field are reduced by a small amount

Periodic long-range transport in a large volume dc glow discharge dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, Edward Jr.; Amatucci, William E.; Compton, Christopher; Christy, Brian; Jackson, Jon David

2003-01-01

In an earlier paper, the authors reported on observations of a variety of particle transport phenomena observed in DUPLEX--the DUsty PLasma EXperiment at the Naval Research Laboratory [E. Thomas, Jr., W. E. Amatucci, C. Compton, and B. Christy, Phys. Plasmas 9, 3154 (2002)]. DUPLEX is a large, transparent polycarbonate cylinder that is 40 cm in radius and 80 cm in height. dc glow discharge argon plasmas are generated in DUPLEX. In this paper, the authors expand upon one particular feature of particle transport in DUPLEX, the long-range (i.e., greater than 15 cm), periodic (T∼2.5 min) transport of suspended alumina particles through the plasma. A detailed description of this particle motion through the plasma is presented. Finally, a qualitative model describing the phenomena that lead to this transport is also given

Simulation of an ITER-like dissipative divertor plasma with a combined edge plasma Navier-Stokes neutral model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knoll, D.A.; McHugh, P.R.; Krasheninnikov, S.I.; Sigmar, D.J.

1996-01-01

A combined edge plasma/Navier-Stokes neutral transport model is used to simulate dissipative divertor plasmas in the collisional limit for neutrals on a simplified two-dimensional slab geometry with ITER-like plasma conditions and scale lengths. The neutral model contains three momentum equations which are coupled to the plasma through ionization, recombination, and ion-neutral elastic collisions. The neutral transport coefficients are evaluated including both ion-neutral and neutral-neutral collisions. (orig.)

Magnetic-flutter-induced pedestal plasma transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Callen, J.D.; Hegna, C.C.; Cole, A.J.

2013-01-01

Plasma toroidal rotation can limit reconnection of externally applied resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) fields δB on rational magnetic flux surfaces. Hence it causes the induced radial perturbations δB ρ to be small there, thereby inhibiting magnetic island formation and stochasticity at the top of pedestals in high (H-mode) confinement tokamak plasmas. However, the δB ρ s induced by RMPs increase away from rational surfaces and are shown to induce significant sinusoidal radial motion (flutter) of magnetic field lines with a radial extent that varies linearly with δB ρ and inversely with distance from the rational surface because of the magnetic shear. This produces a radial electron thermal diffusivity that is (1/2)(δB ρ /B 0 ) 2 times a kinetically derived, electron-collision-induced, magnetic-shear-reduced, effective parallel electron thermal diffusivity in the absence of magnetic stochasticity. These low collisionality flutter-induced transport processes and thin magnetic island effects are shown to be highly peaked in the vicinity of rational surfaces at the top of low collisionality pedestals. However, the smaller but finite level of magnetic-flutter-induced electron heat transport midway between rational surfaces is the primary factor that determines the electron temperature difference between rational surfaces at the pedestal top. The magnetic-flutter-induced non-ambipolar electron density transport can be large enough to push the plasma toward an electron density transport root. Requiring ambipolar density transport is shown to determine the radial electric field, the plasma toroidal rotation (via radial force balance), a reduced electron thermal diffusivity and increased ambipolar density transport in the pedestal. At high collisionality the various flutter effects are less strongly peaked at rational surfaces and generally less significant. They are thus less likely to exhibit flutter-induced resonant behaviour and transition toward an

Magnetic-flutter-induced pedestal plasma transport

Science.gov (United States)

Callen, J. D.; Hegna, C. C.; Cole, A. J.

2013-11-01

Plasma toroidal rotation can limit reconnection of externally applied resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) fields δB on rational magnetic flux surfaces. Hence it causes the induced radial perturbations δBρ to be small there, thereby inhibiting magnetic island formation and stochasticity at the top of pedestals in high (H-mode) confinement tokamak plasmas. However, the δBρs induced by RMPs increase away from rational surfaces and are shown to induce significant sinusoidal radial motion (flutter) of magnetic field lines with a radial extent that varies linearly with δBρ and inversely with distance from the rational surface because of the magnetic shear. This produces a radial electron thermal diffusivity that is (1/2)(δBρ/B0)2 times a kinetically derived, electron-collision-induced, magnetic-shear-reduced, effective parallel electron thermal diffusivity in the absence of magnetic stochasticity. These low collisionality flutter-induced transport processes and thin magnetic island effects are shown to be highly peaked in the vicinity of rational surfaces at the top of low collisionality pedestals. However, the smaller but finite level of magnetic-flutter-induced electron heat transport midway between rational surfaces is the primary factor that determines the electron temperature difference between rational surfaces at the pedestal top. The magnetic-flutter-induced non-ambipolar electron density transport can be large enough to push the plasma toward an electron density transport root. Requiring ambipolar density transport is shown to determine the radial electric field, the plasma toroidal rotation (via radial force balance), a reduced electron thermal diffusivity and increased ambipolar density transport in the pedestal. At high collisionality the various flutter effects are less strongly peaked at rational surfaces and generally less significant. They are thus less likely to exhibit flutter-induced resonant behaviour and transition toward an electron

Transport of plasma across a braided magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stix, T.H.

1976-10-01

Transport rates are calculated for a plasma immersed in a region through which magnetic lines of force meander in a stochastic fashion and in which the magnetic surfaces are destroyed. Such a magnetic condition, termed magnetic braiding, may be brought about by asymmetric magnetic perturbations, perhaps quite weak, which typically produce overlap of two sets of magnetic islands. Plasma transport is calculated for this environment, using both a fluid and a kinetic drift model. The latter gives an appreciably higher rate, namely, a fast-particle diffusion coefficient equal to ( 1 / 2 )D/sub M/ [absolute value of v/sub ''/], where D/sub M/ is the coefficient of spatial diffusion for the magnetic lines of force. Correction terms, due to polarization-associated E/sub ''/ fields, are small unless components of the braiding field resonate with ion-acoustic or drift waves. Insertion of a Bhatnager--Gross--Krook collision term shows the diffusion rate is unaffected by weak collisions. Diffusion due to magnetic braiding is of interest for tokamaks, particularly with respect to enhanced electron heat transport, enhanced current penetration, plasma disruption, and internal sawtooth oscillations

Multigroup calculations of low-energy neutral transport in tokamak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilligan, J.G.; Gralnick, S.L.; Price, W.G. Jr.; Kammash, T.

1978-01-01

Multigroup discrete ordinates methods avoid many of the approximations that have been used in previous neutral transport analyses. Of particular interest are the neutral profiles generated as an integral part of larger plasma system simulation codes. To determine the appropriateness of utilizing a particular multigroup code, ANISN, for this purpose, results are compared with the neutral transport module of the Duechs code. For a typical TFTR plasma, predicted neutral densities differ by a maximum factor of three on axis and outfluxes at the plasma boundary by approximately 40%. This is found to be significant for a neutral transport module. Possible sources of the observed discrepancies are indicated from an analysis of the approximations used in the Duechs model. Recommendations are made concerning the future application of the multigroup method. (author)

Fluctuations and transport in fusion plasmas. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gould, R.W.; Liewer, P.C.

1995-01-01

The energy confinement in tokamaks in thought to be limited by transport caused by plasma turbulence. Three dimensional plasma particle-in-cell (PIC) codes are used to model the turbulent transport in tokamaks to attempt to understand this phenomena so that tokamaks can be made more efficient. Presently, hundreds of hours of Cray time are used to model these experiments and much bigger and longer runs are desired, to model a large tokamak with realistic parameters is beyond the capability of existing sequential supercomputers. Parallel supercomputers might be a cost effect tool for performing such large scale 3D tokamak simulations. The goal of the work was to develop algorithms for performing PIC codes on coarse-grained message passing parallel computers and to evaluate the performance of such parallel computers on PIC codes. This algorithm would be used in a large scale PIC production code such as the UCLA 3D gyrokinetic code

Transport processes in space plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birn, J.; Elphic, R.C.; Feldman, W.C.

1997-01-01

This is the final report of a three-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The project represents a comprehensive research effort to study plasma and field transport processes relevant for solar-terrestrial interaction, involving the solar wind and imbedded magnetic field and plasma structures, the bow shock of the Earth's magnetosphere and associated waves, the Earth's magnetopause with imbedded flux rope structures and their connection with the Earth, plasma flow in the Earth's magnetotail, and ionospheric beam/wave interactions. The focus of the work was on the interaction between plasma and magnetic and electric fields in the regions where different plasma populations exist adjacent to or superposed on each other. These are the regions of particularly dynamic plasma behavior, important for plasma and energy transport and rapid energy releases. The research addressed questions about how this interaction takes place, what waves, instabilities, and particle/field interactions are involved, how the penetration of plasma and energy through characteristic boundaries takes place, and how the characteristic properties of the plasmas and fields of the different populations influence each other on different spatial and temporal scales. These topics were investigated through combining efforts in the analysis of plasma and field data obtained through space missions with theory and computer simulations of the plasma behavior

The development of a Krook model for nonlocal transport in laser produced plasmas. II. Application of the theory and comparisons with other models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colombant, Denis; Manheimer, Wallace

2008-01-01

This paper incorporates the Krook model for nonlocal transport into a fluid simulation. It uses these fluid simulations to compare with Fokker-Planck simulations and also with a recent NRL NIKE [S. P. Obenschain et al., Phys. Plasmas 3, 2098 (1996)] experiment. The paper also examines several other models for electron energy transport that have been used in laser fusion research. With regards to the comparison with Fokker-Planck simulation, the Krook model gives better agreement, especially in the time asymptotic limit. With regards to the NRL experiment, all models except one give reasonable agreement

Universal Probability Distribution Function for Bursty Transport in Plasma Turbulence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandberg, I.; Benkadda, S.; Garbet, X.; Ropokis, G.; Hizanidis, K.; Castillo-Negrete, D. del

2009-01-01

Bursty transport phenomena associated with convective motion present universal statistical characteristics among different physical systems. In this Letter, a stochastic univariate model and the associated probability distribution function for the description of bursty transport in plasma turbulence is presented. The proposed stochastic process recovers the universal distribution of density fluctuations observed in plasma edge of several magnetic confinement devices and the remarkable scaling between their skewness S and kurtosis K. Similar statistical characteristics of variabilities have been also observed in other physical systems that are characterized by convection such as the x-ray fluctuations emitted by the Cygnus X-1 accretion disc plasmas and the sea surface temperature fluctuations.

Probabilistic finite-size transport models for fusion: Anomalous transport and scaling laws

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milligen, B.Ph. van; Sanchez, R.; Carreras, B.A.

2004-01-01

Transport in fusion plasmas in the low confinement mode is characterized by several remarkable properties: the anomalous scaling of transport with system size, stiff (or 'canonical') profiles, power degradation, and rapid transport phenomena. The present article explores the possibilities of constructing a unified transport model, based on the continuous-time random walk, in which all these phenomena are handled adequately. The resulting formalism appears to be sufficiently general to provide a sound starting point for the development of a full-blown plasma transport code, capable of incorporating the relevant microscopic transport mechanisms, and allowing predictions of confinement properties

Hybrid formulation of radiation transport in optically thick divertor plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosato, J.; Marandet, Y.; Bufferand, H.; Stamm, R. [PIIM, UMR 7345 Aix-Marseille Universite / CNRS, Centre de St-Jerome, Marseille (France); Reiter, D. [IEK-4 Plasmaphysik, Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, Juelich (Germany)

2016-08-15

Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of coupled atom-radiation transport in optically thick divertor plasmas can be computationally very demanding, in particular in ITER relevant conditions or even larger devices, e.g. for power plant divertor studies. At high (∝ 10{sup 15} cm{sup -3}) atomic densities, it can be shown that sufficiently large divertors behave in certain areas like a black body near the first resonance line of hydrogen (Lyman α). This suggests that, at least in part, the use of continuum model (radiation hydrodynamics) can be sufficiently accurate, while being less time consuming. In this work, we report on the development of a hybrid model devoted to switch automatically between a kinetic and a continuum description according to the plasma conditions. Calculations of the photo-excitation rate in a homogeneous slab are performed as an illustration. The outlined hybrid concept might be also applicable to neutral atom transport, due to mathematical analogy of transport equations for neutrals and radiation. (copyright 2016 The Authors. Contributions to Plasma Physics published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA Weinheim. This)

Density Dependence of Particle Transport in ECH Plasmas of the TJ-II Stellarator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vargas, V. I.; Lopez-Bruna, D.; Guasp, J.; Herranz, J.; Estrada, T.; Medina, F.; Ochando, M.A.; Velasco, J.L.; Reynolds, J.M.; Ferreira, J.A.; Tafalla, D.; Castejon, F.; Salas, A.

2009-05-21

We present the experimental dependence of particle transport on average density in electron cyclotron heated (ECH) hydrogen plasmas of the TJ-II stellarator. The results are based on: (I) electron density and temperature data from Thomson Scattering and reflectometry diagnostics; (II) a transport model that reproduces the particle density profiles in steady state; and (III) Eirene, a code for neutrals transport that calculates the particle source in the plasma from the particle confinement time and the appropriate geometry of the machine/plasma. After estimating an effective particle diffusivity and the particle confinement time, a threshold density separating qualitatively and quantitatively different plasma transport regimes is found. The poor confinement times found below the threshold are coincident with the presence of ECH-induced fast electron losses and a positive radial electric field all over the plasma. (Author) 40 refs.

'Complexity' and anomalous transport in space plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Tom; Wu Chengchin

2002-01-01

'Complexity' has become a hot topic in nearly every field of modern physics. Space plasma is of no exception. In this paper, it is demonstrated that the sporadic and localized interactions of magnetic coherent structures are the origin of 'complexity' in space plasmas. The intermittent localized interactions, which generate the anomalous diffusion, transport, and evolution of the macroscopic state variables of the overall dynamical system, may be modeled by a triggered (fast) localized chaotic growth equation of a set of relevant order parameters. Such processes would generally pave the way for the global system to evolve into a 'complex' state of long-ranged interactions of fluctuations, displaying the phenomenon of forced and/or self-organized criticality. An example of such type of anomalous transport and evolution in a sheared magnetic field is provided via two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations. The coarse-grained dissipation due to the intermittent triggered interactions among the magnetic coherent structures induces a 'fluctuation-induced nonlinear instability' that reconfigures the sheared magnetic field into an X-point magnetic geometry (in the mean field sense), leading to the anomalous acceleration of the magnetic coherent structures. A phenomenon akin to such type of anomalous transport and acceleration, the so-called bursty bulk flows, has been commonly observed in the plasma sheet of the Earth's magnetotail

Transport of plasma impurities and the role of the plasma edge layers for the hot plasma production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drawin, H.W.

1987-01-01

The first problem of impurity transport is removal of alpha particles from the interior outward. The second problem is the control of impurities produced in the plasma-wall interaction. Finally there is the problem of using injected impurities for assessment of transport coefficients. The influence of impurity radiation on the power balance of a DT plasma is considered. Limiters and divertors as impurity sources are mentioned and transport equations for impurities are given. As an example iron impurities transport in a hydrogen plasma is considered. The role of the edge layer is emphasized. Finally requirements for plasma diagnostics are stated. 50 refs., 10 figs. (qui)

Electron cyclotron absorption in Tokamak plasmas in the presence of radial transport of particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosa, Paulo R. da S.; Ziebell, Luiz F.

1998-01-01

We use quasilinear theory to study effects of particle radial transport on the electron cyclotron absorption coefficient by a current carrying plasma, in a tokamak modelated as a plasma slab. Our numerical results indicate significant modification in the profile of the electron cyclotron absorption coefficient when transport is taken into account relative to the situation without transport. (author)

Modeling radiative transport in ICF plasmas on an IBM SP2 supercomputer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johansen, J.A.; MacFarlane, J.J.; Moses, G.A.

1995-01-01

At the University of Wisconsin-Madison the authors have integrated a collisional-radiative-equilibrium model into their CONRAD radiation-hydrodynamics code. This integrated package allows them to accurately simulate the transport processes involved in ICF plasmas; including the important effects of self-absorption of line-radiation. However, as they increase the amount of atomic structure utilized in their transport models, the computational demands increase nonlinearly. In an attempt to meet this increased computational demand, they have recently embarked on a mission to parallelize the CONRAD program. The parallel CONRAD development is being performed on an IBM SP2 supercomputer. The parallelism is based on a message passing paradigm, and is being implemented using PVM. At the present time they have determined that approximately 70% of the sequential program can be executed in parallel. Accordingly, they expect that the parallel version will yield a speedup on the order of three times that of the sequential version. This translates into only 10 hours of execution time for the parallel version, whereas the sequential version required 30 hours

Possibility of internal transport barrier formation and electric field bifurcation in LHD plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanuki, H.; Itoh, K.; Yokoyama, M.; Fujisawa, A.; Ida, K.; Toda, S.; Itoh, S.-I.; Yagi, M.; Fukuyama, A.

1999-05-01

Theoretical analysis of the electric field bifurcation is made for the LHD plasma. For given shapes of plasma profiles, a region of bifurcation is obtained in a space of the plasma parameters. In this region of plasma parameters, the electric field domain interface is predicted to appear in the plasma column. The reduction of turbulent transport is expected to occur in the vicinity of the interface, inducing a internal transport barrier. Within this simple model, the plasma with internal barriers is predicted to be realized for the parameters of T e (0) ∼ 2 keV and n(0) ≅ 10 18 m -3 . (author)

Electron conductivity model for dense plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Y.T.; More, R.M.

1984-01-01

An electron conductivity model for dense plasmas is described which gives a consistent and complete set of transport coefficients including not only electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity, but also thermoelectric power, and Hall, Nernst, Ettinghausen, and Leduc--Righi coefficients. The model is useful for simulating plasma experiments with strong magnetic fields. The coefficients apply over a wide range of plasma temperature and density and are expressed in a computationally simple form. Different formulas are used for the electron relaxation time in plasma, liquid, and solid phases. Comparisons with recent calculations and available experimental measurement show the model gives results which are sufficiently accurate for many practical applications

Fusion plasma theory Task II: ECRH and transport modeling in tandem mirrors and divertor physics. Final report, January 1-December 31, 1985

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emmert, G.A.

1985-07-01

The research reported here focuses on: (1) the coupling of an ECRH ray tracing and absorption code to a tandem mirror transport code in order to self-consistently model the temporal and spatial evolution of the plasma, and (2) the further development of semi-analytical models for plasma flow in divertors and pumped limiters. 5 refs., 1 fig

Integrated transport code system for a multicomponent plasma in a gas dynamic trap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anikeev, A.V.; Karpushov, A.N.; Noak, K.; Strogalova, S.L.

2000-01-01

This report is focused on the development of the theoretical and numerical models of multicomponent high-β plasma confinement and transport in the gas-dynamic trap (GDT). In order to simulate the plasma behavior in the GDT as well as that in the GDT-based neutron source the Integrated Transport Code System is developed from existing stand-alone codes calculating the target plasma, the fast ions and the neutral gas in the GDT. The code system considers the full dependence of the transport phenomena on space, time, energy and angle variables as well as the interactions between the particle fields [ru

Generalized fluid equations for parallel transport in collisional to weakly collisional plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zawaideh, E.S.

1985-01-01

A new set of two-fluid equations which are valid from collisional to weakly collisional limits are derived. Starting from gyrokinetic equations in flux coordinates with no zeroth order drifts, a set of moment equations describing plasma transport along the field lines of a space and time dependent magnetic field are derived. No restriction on the anisotropy of the ion distribution function is imposed. In the highly collisional limit, these equations reduce to those of Braginskii while in the weakly collisional limit, they are similar to the double adiabatic or Chew, Goldberger, and Low (CGL) equations. The new transport equations are used to study the effects of collisionality, magnetic field structure, and plasma anisotropy on plasma parallel transport. Numerical examples comparing these equations with conventional transport equations show that the conventional equations may contain large errors near the sound speed (M approx. = 1). It is also found that plasma anisotropy, which is not included in the conventional equations, is a critical parameter in determining plasma transport in varying magnetic field. The new transport equations are also used to study axial confinement in multiple mirror devices from the strongly to weakly collisional regime. A new ion conduction model was worked out to extend the regime of validity of the transport equations to the low density multiple mirror regime

Plasma/neutral gas transport in divertors and limiters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gierszewski, P.J.

1983-09-01

The engineering design of the divertor and first wall region of fusion reactors requires accurate knowledge of the energies and particle fluxes striking these surfaces. Simple calculations indicate that approx. 10 MW/m 2 heat fluxes and approx. 1 cm/yr erosion rates are possible, but there remain fundamental physics questions that bear directly on the engineering design. The purpose of this study was to treat hydrogen plasma and neutral gas transport in divertors and pumped limiters in sufficient detail to answer some of the questions as to the actual conditions that will be expected in fusion reactors. This was accomplished in four parts: (1) a review of relevant atomic processes to establish the dominant interactions and their data base; (2) a steady-state coupled O-D model of the plasma core, scrape-off layer and divertor exhaust to determine gross modes of operation and edge conditions; (3) a 1-D kinetic transport model to investigate the case of collisionless divertor exhaust, including non-Maxwellian ions and neutral atoms, highly collisional electrons, and a self-consistent electric field; and (4) a 3-D Monte Carlo treatment of neutral transport to correctly account for geometric effects

Integrated models for plasma/material interaction during loss of plasma confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassanein, A.

1998-01-01

A comprehensive computer package, High Energy Interaction with General Heterogeneous Target Systems (HEIGHTS), has been developed to evaluate the damage incurred on plasma-facing materials during loss of plasma confinement. The HEIGHTS package consists of several integrated computer models that follow the start of a plasma disruption at the scrape-off layer (SOL) through the transport of the eroded debris and splashed target materials to nearby locations as a result of the energy deposited. The package includes new models to study turbulent plasma behavior in the SOL and predicts the plasma parameters and conditions at the divertor plate. Full two-dimensional comprehensive radiation magnetohydrodynamic models are coupled with target thermodynamics and liquid hydrodynamics to evaluate the integrated response of plasma-facing materials. A brief description of the HEIGHTS package and its capabilities are given in this work with emphasis on turbulent plasma behavior in the SOL during disruptions

Visualization of intermittent blobby plasma transport in attached and detached plasmas of the NAGDIS-II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohno, Noriyasu; Furuta, Katsuhiro; Takamura, Shuichi

2004-01-01

We investigated the intermittent convective plasma transport in a attached and/or detached plasma condition of the linear divertor plasma simulator, NAGDIS-II. Images taken by a fast-imaging camera clearly show that in attached plasmas, blobs are peeled off the bulk plasma, and propagate outward with an azimuthal motion. In detached plasmas, plasma turbulence observed near the plasma recombining region drives strong intermittent radial plasma transport, which could broaden the radial density profile. (author)

Cross-field blob transport in tokamak scrape-off-layer plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Ippolito, D.A.; Myra, J.R.; Krasheninnikov, S.I.

2002-01-01

Recent measurements show that nondiffusive, intermittent transport of particles can play a major role in the scrape-off-layer (SOL) of fusion experiments. A possible mechanism for fast convective plasma transport is related to the plasma filaments or 'blobs' observed in the SOL with fast cameras and probes. In this paper, physical arguments suggesting the importance of blob transport [S. I. Krasheninnikov, Phys. Lett. A 283, 368 (2001)] have been extended by calculations using a three-field fluid model, treating the blobs as coherent propagating structures. The properties of density, temperature and vorticity blobs, and methods of averaging over ensembles of blobs to get the average SOL profiles, are illustrated. The role of ionization of background neutrals in sustaining the density blob transport is also discussed. Many qualitative features of the experiments, such as relatively flat density profiles and transport coefficients increasing toward the wall, are shown to emerge naturally from the blob transport paradigm

13th EU-US Transport Task Force Workshop on transport in fusion plasmas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Connor, J.W.; Fasoli, A.; Hidalgo, C.

2009-01-01

This report summarizes the contributions presented at the 13th EU-US Transport Task Force Workshop on transport in fusion plasmas, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, 1-4 September 2008. There were sessions on core heat and particle transport; core and edge momentum transport; edge and scrape-off-layer ......This report summarizes the contributions presented at the 13th EU-US Transport Task Force Workshop on transport in fusion plasmas, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, 1-4 September 2008. There were sessions on core heat and particle transport; core and edge momentum transport; edge and scrape...

A 3D Monte Carlo code for plasma transport in island divertors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Y.; Sardei, F.; Kisslinger, J.; Grigull, P.

1997-01-01

A fully 3D self-consistent Monte Carlo code EMC3 (edge Monte Carlo 3D) for modelling the plasma transport in island divertors has been developed. In a first step, the code solves a simplified version of the 3D time-independent plasma fluid equations. Coupled to the neutral transport code EIRENE, the EMC3 code has been used to study the particle, energy and neutral transport in W7-AS island divertor configurations. First results are compared with data from different diagnostics (Langmuir probes, H α cameras and thermography). (orig.)

Production and transport chemistry of atomic fluorine in remote plasma source and cylindrical reaction chamber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gangoli, S P; Johnson, A D; Fridman, A A; Pearce, R V; Gutsol, A F; Dolgopolsky, A

2007-01-01

Increasingly, NF 3 -based plasmas are being used in semiconductor manufacturing to clean chemical vapour deposition (CVD) chambers. With advantages such as faster clean times, substantially lower emissions of gases having high global warming potentials, and reduced chamber damage, NF 3 plasmas are now favoured over fluorocarbon-based processes. Typically, a remote plasma source (RPS) is used to dissociate the NF 3 gas and produce atomic fluorine that etches the CVD residues from the chamber surfaces. However, it is important to efficiently transport F atoms from the plasma source into the process chamber. The current work is aimed at understanding and improving the key processes involved in the production and transport of atomic fluorine atoms. A zero-dimensional model of NF 3 dissociation and F production chemistry in the RPS is developed based on various known and derived plasma parameters. Additionally, a model describing the transport of atomic fluorine is proposed that includes both physical (diffusion, adsorption and desorption) and chemical processes (surface and three-body volume recombination). The kinetic model provides an understanding of the impact of chamber geometry, gas flow rates, pressure and temperature on fluorine recombination. The plasma-kinetic model is validated by comparing model predictions (percentage F atom density) with experimental results (etch rates)

BURNING PLASMA PROJECTIONS USING DRIFT WAVE TRANSPORT MODELS AND SCALINGS FOR THE H-MODE PEDESTAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

KINSEY, J.E.; ONJUN, T.; BATEMAN, G.; KRITZ, A.; PANKIN, A.; STAEBLER, G.M.; WALTZ, R.E.

2002-01-01

OAK-B135 The GLF23 and Multi-Mode (MM95) transport models are used along with a model for the H-mode pedestal to predict the fusion performance for the ITER, FIRE, and IGNITOR tokamak designs. The drift-wave predictive transport models reproduce the core profiles in a wide variety of tokamak discharges, yet they differ significantly in their response to temperature gradient (stiffness). Recent gyro-kinetic simulations of ITG/TEM and ETG modes motivate the renormalization of the GLF23 model. The normalizing coefficients for the ITG/TEM modes are reduced by a factor of 3.7 while the ETG mode coefficient is increased by a factor of 4.8 in comparison with the original model. A pedestal temperature model is developed for type I ELMy H-mode plasmas based on ballooning mode stability and a theory-motivated scaling for the pedestal width. In this pedestal model, the pedestal density is proportional to the line-averaged density and the pedestal temperature is inversely related to the pedestal density

Fast transient transport phenomena measured by soft X-ray emission in TCV tokamak plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Furno, I. [Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas (CRPP), CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland)

2001-08-01

Energy and particle transport during sawtooth activity in TCV plasmas has been studied in this thesis with high temporal resolution many chord diagnostics. We indicated the influence of sawteeth on plasma profiles in ohmic conditions and in the presence of auxiliary electron cyclotron resonance heating and current drive. A 2-dimensional model for heat transport, including localised heat source and a magnetic island, has been used to interpret the experimental observations. These results provided a new interpretation of a coupled heat and transport phenomenon which is potentially important for plasma confinement. The observations validate the applicability and show the possibility of improvement of a 2-dimensional theoretic a1 model for the study of heat transport in the presence of localised heat source and a magnetic island. Furthermore, the TCV results showed a new possibility for the interpretation of a coupled heat and particle transport phenomenon previously understood only in stellarators. (author)

Perturbative transport experiments in JET low or reverse magnetic shear plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mantica, P. [Istituto di Fisica del Plasma, EURATOM-ENEA-CNR Association, Milan (Italy); Gorini, G. [Istituto di Fisica del Plasma, EURATOM-ENEA-CNR Association, Milan (Italy); INFM, Department of Physics, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan (Italy); Imbeaux, F. [Association Euratom-CEA, CEA Cadarache, St. Paul-lez-Durance (France)] (and others)

2002-10-01

Perturbative transport experiments have been performed in JET low or reverse magnetic shear plasmas either in conditions of fully developed internal transport barrier (ITB) or during a phase where an ITB was not observed. Transient peripheral cooling was induced either by laser ablation or by shallow pellet injection, and the ensuing travelling cold pulse was used to probe the plasma transport in the electron and, for the first time, also in the ion channel. Cold pulses travelling through ITBs are observed to erode the ITB outer part, but, if the inner ITB portion survives, it strongly damps the propagating wave. The result is discussed in the context of proposed possible pictures for ITB formation. In the absence of an ITB, the cold pulse shows a fast propagation in the outer plasma half, which is consistent with a region of stiff transport, while in the inner half it slows down but shows the peculiar feature of amplitude growing while propagating. The data are powerful tests for the validation of theoretical transport models. (author)

Kinetic transport in a magnetically confined and flux-constrained fusion plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darmet, G.

2007-11-01

This work deals with the kinetic transport in a fusion plasma magnetically confined and flux-constrained. The author proposes a new interpretation of the dynamics of zonal flows. The model that has been studied is a gyrokinetic model reduced to the transport of trapped ions. The inter-change stability that is generated allows the study of the kinetic transport of trapped ions. This model has a threshold instability and can be simulated over a few tens confining time for either thermal bath constraint or flux constraint. For thermal baths constraint, the simulation shows a metastable state where zonal flows are prevailing while turbulence is non-existent. In the case of a flux-constraint, zonal flows appear and relax by exchanging energy with system's kinetic energy and turbulence energy. The competition between zonal flows and turbulence can be then simulated by a predator-prey model. 2 regimes can be featured out: an improved confining regime where zonal flows dominate transport and a turbulent regime where zonal flows and turbulent transport are of the same magnitude order. We show that flux as well as the Reynolds tensor play an important role in the dynamics of the zonal flows and that the gyrokinetic description is relevant for all plasma regions. (A.C.)

Effects of electrostatic trapping on neoclassical transport in an impure plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazeltine, R.D.; Ware, A.A.

1976-01-01

Contamination of a toroidally confined plasma by highly charged impurity ions can produce substantial variation of the electrostatic potential within a magnetic surface. The resulting electrostatic trapping and electrostatic drifts, of hydrogen ions and electrons, yields significant alterations in neoclassical transport theory. A transport theory which includes these effects is derived from the drift-kinetic equation, with an ordering scheme modeled on the parameters of recent tokamak experiments. The theory self-consistently predicts that electrostatic trapping should be fully comparable to magnetic trapping, and provides transport coefficients which, depending quadratically upon the temperature and pressure gradients, differ markedly from the standard neoclassical coefficients for a pure plasma

Electromagnetic effects on trace impurity transport in tokamak plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Hein, T.; Angioni, C.

2010-01-01

The impact of electromagnetic effects on the transport of light and heavy impurities in tokamak plasmas is investigated by means of an extensive set of linear gyrokinetic numerical calculations with the code GYRO [J. Candy and R. E. Waltz, J. Comput. Phys. 186, 545 (2003)] and of analytical derivations with a fluid model. The impurity transport is studied by appropriately separating diffusive and convective contributions, and conditions of background microturbulence dominated by both ion temperature gradient (ITG) and trapped electron modes (TEMs) are analyzed. The dominant contribution from magnetic flutter transport turns out to be of pure convective type. However it remains small, below 10% with respect to the E ×B transport. A significant impact on the impurity transport due to an increase in the plasma normalized pressure parameter β is observed in the case of ITG modes, while for TEM the overall effect remains weak. In realistic conditions of high β plasmas in the high confinement (H-) mode with dominant ITG turbulence, the impurity diffusivity is found to decrease with increasing β in qualitative agreement with recent observations in tokamaks. In contrast, in these conditions, the ratio of the total off-diagonal convective velocity to the diagonal diffusivity is not strongly affected by an increase in β, particularly at low impurity charge, due to a compensation between the different off-diagonal contributions.

Up-gradient transport in a probabilistic transport model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gavnholt, J.; Juul Rasmussen, J.; Garcia, O.E.

2005-01-01

The transport of particles or heat against the driving gradient is studied by employing a probabilistic transport model with a characteristic particle step length that depends on the local concentration or heat gradient. When this gradient is larger than a prescribed critical value, the standard....... These results supplement recent works by van Milligen [Phys. Plasmas 11, 3787 (2004)], which applied Levy distributed step sizes in the case of supercritical gradients to obtain the up-gradient transport. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics....

Ion sampling and transport in Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Farnsworth, Paul B.; Spencer, Ross L.

2017-08-01

Quantitative accuracy and high sensitivity in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) depend on consistent and efficient extraction and transport of analyte ions from an inductively coupled plasma to a mass analyzer, where they are sorted and detected. In this review we examine the fundamental physical processes that control ion sampling and transport in ICP-MS and compare the results of theory and computerized models with experimental efforts to characterize the flow of ions through plasma mass spectrometers' vacuum interfaces. We trace the flow of ions from their generation in the plasma, into the sampling cone, through the supersonic expansion in the first vacuum stage, through the skimmer, and into the ion optics that deliver the ions to the mass analyzer. At each stage we consider idealized behavior and departures from ideal behavior that affect the performance of ICP-MS as an analytical tool.

Transport of high fluxes of hydrogen plasma in a linear plasma generator

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vijvers, W.A.J.; Al, R.S.; Lopes Cardozo, N.J.; Goedheer, W.J.; Groot, de B.; Kleyn, A.W.; Meiden, van der H.J.; Peppel, van de R.J.E.; Schram, D.C.; Shumack, A.E.; Westerhout, J.; Rooij, van G.J.; Schmidt, J.; Simek, M.; Pekarek, S.; Prukner, V.

2007-01-01

A study was made to quantify the losses during the convective hydrogen plasma transport in the linear plasma generator Pilot-PSI due to volume recombination. A transport efficiency of 35% was achieved at neutral background pressures below ~7 Pa in a magnetic field of 1.2 T. This efficiency decreased

Simple collision operators for direct Vlasov simulations of laser plasma interaction and transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arber, T D; Sircombe, N J

2010-01-01

Non-local electron transport effects have a direct influence on the compression of cryogenic targets in laser driven ICF and target heating in high energy density experiments. There is a growing need for self-consistent models of laser plasma interactions coupled to nonlocal transport. We present a direct Vlasov solver that includes multiple species and a simple collision operator. This BGK model operator - which conserves particle density, energy and momentum - is fully implicit. For collisionless plasmas it has been shown that a double layer may be formed in which an accelerated, kinetic ion population satisfies the zero current condition. Here we extend this result to collisionalities of interest to laser driven ignition to assess the validity of nonlocal electron transport models based on fluid ions.

Simulation of internal transport barriers by means of the canonical profile transport model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dnestrovskij, Yu. N.; Cherkasov, S. V.; Dnestrovskij, A. Yu.; Lysenko, S. E.; Walsh, M. J.

2006-01-01

Models with critical gradients are widely used to describe energy balance in L-mode discharges. The so-called first critical gradient can be found from the canonical temperature profile. Here, it is suggested that discharge regimes with transport barriers can be described based on the idea of the second critical gradient. If, in a certain plasma region, the pressure gradient exceeds the second critical gradient, then the plasma bifurcates into a new state and a transport barrier forms in this region. This idea was implemented in a modified canonical profile transport model that makes it possible to describe the energy and particle balance in tokamak plasmas with arbitrary cross sections and aspect ratios. The magnitude of the second critical gradient was chosen by comparing the results calculated for several tokamak discharges with the experimental data. It is found that the second critical gradient is related to the magnetic shear s. The criterion of the transport barrier formation has the form (a 2 /r)d/drln(p/p c ) > z 0 (r), where r is the radial coordinate, a is the plasma minor radius, p is the plasma pressure, p c is the canonical pressure profile, and the dimensionless function z O (r) = C O + C 1 s (with C 0i ∼1, C 0e ∼3, and C 1i,e ∼2) describes the difference between the first and second critical gradients. Simulations show that this criterion is close to that obtained experimentally in JET. The model constructed here is used to simulate internal transport barriers in the JET, TFTR, DIII-D, and MAST tokamaks. The possible dependence of the second critical gradient on the plasma parameters is discussed

Radio-frequency heating and neutral atom transport in a fluid-magnetohydrodynamic treatment of burning tokamak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conn, R.W.; Mau, T.K.; Prinja, A.K.

1983-01-01

A physical model for the space and time evolution of the primary parameters of ordinary and burning tokamak plasmas is described by employing a fluid plasma treatment coupled to a magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium description, the solution to the appropriate Maxwell equations, and the solution of the linear transport equation describing neutral atom transport in plasmas. The specific problems of plasma heating by ion cyclotron radiofrequency (ICRF) waves and neutral atom transport in the plasma edge and in complicated geometrical components such as divertor channels or pumped limiter structures are analyzed. A theoretical, onedimensional slab model of ICRF heating at ω = 2ω/SUB cD/ is developed and applied to determine the space-time response of tokamak plasmas. Generally, strong single-pass absorption is found for high-density, high (β) plasmas using a low k 11 spectrum (0.05 to 0.1 cm -1 ) although for (β > 1%, electron Landau damping becomes important. Deterministic and Monte Carlo methods to solve the neutral atom transport problem are described. Specific application to determine the spectrum of neutral atoms emerging from the duct of a pump limiter shows it to be hard (mean energy > 20 eV), indicating very incomplete energy thermalization. Uncertainties are identified in the overall problem of dynamic burning plasma analysis caused by the complexity of the problem itself and by uncertainties in fundamental areas such as plasma transport coefficients, stability, and plasma edge physics

Multi-field plasma sandpile model in tokamaks and applications

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, X. D.; Xu, J. Q.

2016-08-01

A multi-field sandpile model of tokamak plasmas is formulated for the first time to simulate the dynamic process with interaction between avalanche events on the fast/micro time-scale and diffusive transports on the slow/macro time-scale. The main characteristics of the model are that both particle and energy avalanches of sand grains are taken into account simultaneously. New redistribution rules of a sand-relaxing process are defined according to the transport properties of special turbulence which allows the uphill particle transport. Applying the model, we first simulate the steady-state plasma profile self-sustained by drift wave turbulences in the Ohmic discharge of a tokamak. A scaling law as f = a q0 b + c for the relation of both center-density n ( 0 ) and electron (ion) temperatures T e ( 0 ) ( T i ( 0 ) ) with the center-safety-factor q 0 is found. Then interesting work about the nonlocal transport phenomenon observed in tokamak experiments proceeds. It is found that the core electron temperature increases rapidly in response to the edge cold pulse and inversely it decreases in response to the edge heat pulse. The results show that the nonlocal response of core electron temperature depending on the amplitudes of background plasma density and temperature is more remarkable in a range of gas injection rate. Analyses indicate that the avalanche transport caused by plasma drift instabilities with thresholds is a possible physical mechanism for the nonlocal transport in tokamaks. It is believed that the model is capable of being applied to more extensive questions occurring in the transport field.

Interchange turbulence model for the edge plasma in SOLEDGE2D-EIRENE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bufferand, H.; Marandet, Y. [Aix-Marseille Universite, CNRS, PIIM, Marseille (France); Ciraolo, G.; Ghendrih, P.; Bucalossi, J.; Fedorczak, N.; Gunn, J.; Tamain, P. [CEA, IRFM, Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance (France); Colin, C.; Galassi, D.; Leybros, R.; Serre, E. [Aix-Marseille Universite, CNRS, M2P2, Marseille (France)

2016-08-15

Cross-field transport in edge tokamak plasmas is known to be dominated by turbulent transport. A dedicated effort has been made to simulate this turbulent transport from first principle models but the numerical cost to run these simulations on the ITER scale remains prohibitive. Edge plasma transport study relies mostly nowadays on so-called transport codes where the turbulent transport is taken into account using effective ad-hoc diffusion coefficients. In this contribution, we propose to introduce a transport equation for the turbulence intensity in SOLEDGE2D-EIRENE to describe the interchange turbulence properties. Going beyond the empirical diffusive model, this system automatically generates profiles for the turbulent transport and hence reduces the number of degrees of freedom for edge plasma transport codes. We draw inspiration from the k-epsilon model widely used in the neutral fluid community. (copyright 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Impurity accumulation and performance of ITER and DEMO plasmas in the presence of transport barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chatthong, B; Promping, J; Onjun, T

2017-01-01

In this work, the impurity accumulations and their performance in the presence of both ITB and ETB in ITER and DEMO plasmas are investigated using a BALDUR integrated predictive modelling code. In these simulations, a combination of a neoclassical transport model NCLASS and an anomalous transport model Mixed Bohm/gyro-Bohm is used. The boundary condition is described at the top of the pedestal, which is calculated theoretically based on a combination of magnetic and flow shear stabilization pedestal width scaling and an infinite-n ballooning pressure gradient model. The toroidal flow is calculated based on the NTV (neoclassical toroidal viscosity) toroidal velocity model. The time evolution of plasma temperature and density profiles of ITER and DEMO (Korean K-DEMO and Japanese DEMO models A, B and C) plasmas are simulated in H -mode scenario with and without ITB formation. It is found that Japanese DEMO model C yields highest plasma temperature; while Korean DEMO yields the best plasma performance among those designs considered. Impurity accumulation is found to be highest in Japanese DEMO model B. (paper)

Coherent structures and transport in drift wave plasma turbulence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bang Korsholm, S.

2011-12-15

Fusion energy research aims at developing fusion power plants providing safe and clean energy with abundant fuels. Plasma turbulence induced transport of energy and particles is a performance limiting factor for fusion devices. Hence the understanding of plasma turbulence is important for optimization. The present work is a part of the puzzle to understand the basic physics of transport induced by drift wave turbulence in the edge region of a plasma. The basis for the study is the Hasegawa-Wakatani model. Simulation results for 3D periodic and nonperiodic geometries are presented. The Hasegawa-Wakatani model is further expanded to include ion temperature effects. Another expansion of the model is derived from the Braginskii electron temperature equation. The result is a self-consistent set of equations describing the dynamical evolution of the drift wave fluctuations of the electron density, electron temperature and the potential in the presence of density and temperature gradients. 3D simulation results of the models are presented. Finally, the construction and first results from the MAST fluctuation reflectometer is described. The results demonstrate how L- to H-mode transitions as well as edge-localized-modes can be detected by the relatively simple diagnostic system. The present Risoe report is a slightly updated version of my original PhD report which was submitted in April 2002 and defended in August 2002. (Author)

Coherent structures and transport in drift wave plasma turbulence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bang Korsholm, S.

2011-12-01

Fusion energy research aims at developing fusion power plants providing safe and clean energy with abundant fuels. Plasma turbulence induced transport of energy and particles is a performance limiting factor for fusion devices. Hence the understanding of plasma turbulence is important for optimization. The present work is a part of the puzzle to understand the basic physics of transport induced by drift wave turbulence in the edge region of a plasma. The basis for the study is the Hasegawa-Wakatani model. Simulation results for 3D periodic and nonperiodic geometries are presented. The Hasegawa-Wakatani model is further expanded to include ion temperature effects. Another expansion of the model is derived from the Braginskii electron temperature equation. The result is a self-consistent set of equations describing the dynamical evolution of the drift wave fluctuations of the electron density, electron temperature and the potential in the presence of density and temperature gradients. 3D simulation results of the models are presented. Finally, the construction and first results from the MAST fluctuation reflectometer is described. The results demonstrate how L- to H-mode transitions as well as edge-localized-modes can be detected by the relatively simple diagnostic system. The present Risoe report is a slightly updated version of my original PhD report which was submitted in April 2002 and defended in August 2002. (Author)

Thermodynamic theory of transport in magnetized plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Misguich, J.H.

1990-10-01

Transport laws relating thermodynamic flows to forces by means of transport coefficients in a magnetized plasma are derived here from basic plasmadynamics and nonequilibrium thermodynamics. Macroscopic balance equations are derived in the first part, taking into account the energy of relative diffusion between species in an exact way. The resulting plasmadynamical equations appear to be more general than the usual ones. In the second part, the particular features of a two-temperature diffusing plasma are taken into account in deriving the balance equation for the entropy density, the differences with thermodynamics of neutral fluid mixtures or metals are explained. The general expressions obtained for the entropy production rate are used in part III to derive transport laws. Onsager symmetry relations are applied to interrelate crossed transport coefficients. Basic transport coefficients are the electrical conductivity, the thermo-electric coefficient, along with the thermal conductivities and the viscosities for each species. The slight difference between thermo-electric effect and thermo-diffusion is explained. An important resistive thermo-electric effect appears which describes crossed transport coefficients between thermal and electric flows. Because of the anisotropy introduced by the magnetic field, the transport coefficients are tensors, with non diagonal elements associated with the Hall, Nernst and Ettinghausen effects in the plasma. The field geometry and applications to several particular cases are treated explicitly in part IV, namely the neo-classical transport laws. The Ettinghausen effect appears to play an important role in the transport laws for radial electron heat flow and particle flow in confined plasmas. Practical prescriptions are given to apply the Onsager symmetry relations in a correct way

Neoclassical transport of impurtities in tokamak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirshman, S.P.; Sigmar, D.J.

1981-05-01

Tokamak plasmas are inherently comprised of multiple ion species. This is due to wall-bred impurities and, in future reactors, will result from fusion-born alpha particles. Relatively small concentrations of highly charged non-hydrogenic impurities can strongly influence plasma transport properties whenever n/sub I/e/sub I/ 2 /n/sub H/e 2 greater than or equal to (m/sub e//m/sub H/)/sup 1/2/. The determination of the complete neoclassical Onsager matrix for a toroidally confined multispecies plasma, which provides the linear relation between the surface averaged radial fluxes and the thermodynamic forces (i.e., gradients of density and temperature, and the parallel electric field), is reviewed. A closed set of one-dimensional moment equations is presented for the time evolution of thermodynamic and magnetic field quantities which results from collisional transport of the plasma and two dimensional motion of the magnetic flux surface geometry. The effects of neutral beam injection on the equilibrium and transport properties of a toroidal plasma are consistently included

Ion confinement and transport in a toroidal plasma with externally imposed radial electric fields

Science.gov (United States)

Roth, J. R.; Krawczonek, W. M.; Powers, E. J.; Kim, Y. C.; Hong, H. Y.

1979-01-01

Strong electric fields were imposed along the minor radius of the toroidal plasma by biasing it with electrodes maintained at kilovolt potentials. Coherent, low-frequency disturbances characteristic of various magnetohydrodynamic instabilities were absent in the high-density, well-confined regime. High, direct-current radial electric fields with magnitudes up to 135 volts per centimeter penetrated inward to at least one-half the plasma radius. When the electric field pointed radially toward, the ion transport was inward against a strong local density gradient; and the plasma density and confinement time were significantly enhanced. The radial transport along the electric field appeared to be consistent with fluctuation-induced transport. With negative electrode polarity the particle confinement was consistent with a balance of two processes: a radial infusion of ions, in those sectors of the plasma not containing electrodes, that resulted from the radially inward fields; and ion losses to the electrodes, each of the which acted as a sink and drew ions out of the plasma. A simple model of particle confinement was proposed in which the particle confinement time is proportional to the plasma volume. The scaling predicted by this model was consistent with experimental measurements.

Turbulence spectra, transport, and E × B flows in helical plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, T.-H.; Nunami, M.; Sugama, H.; Satake, S.; Matsuoka, S.; Ishizawa, A.; Tanaka, K.; Maeyama, Shinya

2012-11-01

Gyrokinetic simulation of ion temperature gradient turbulence and zonal flows for helical plasmas has been validated against the Large Helical Device experiments with high ion temperature, where a reduced modeling of ion heat transport is also considered. It is confirmed by the entropy transfer analysis that the turbulence spectrum elongated in the radial wavenumber space is associated with successive interactions with zonal flows. A novel multi-scale simulation for turbulence and zonal flows in poloidally-rotating helical plasmas has demonstrated strong zonal flow generation by turbulence, which implies that turbulent transport processes in non-axisymmetric systems are coupled to neoclassical transport through the macroscopic E × B flows determined by the ambipolarty condition for neoclassical particle fluxes. (author)

Transport in a toroidally confined pure electron plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crooks, S.M.; ONeil, T.M.

1996-01-01

O close-quote Neil and Smith [T.M. O close-quote Neil and R.A. Smith, Phys. Plasmas 1, 8 (1994)] have argued that a pure electron plasma can be confined stably in a toroidal magnetic field configuration. This paper shows that the toroidal curvature of the magnetic field of necessity causes slow cross-field transport. The transport mechanism is similar to magnetic pumping and may be understood by considering a single flux tube of plasma. As the flux tube of plasma undergoes poloidal ExB drift rotation about the center of the plasma, the length of the flux tube and the magnetic field strength within the flux tube oscillate, and this produces corresponding oscillations in T parallel and T perpendicular . The collisional relaxation of T parallel toward T perpendicular produces a slow dissipation of electrostatic energy into heat and a consequent expansion (cross-field transport) of the plasma. In the limit where the cross section of the plasma is nearly circular the radial particle flux is given by Γ r =1/2ν perpendicular,parallel T(r/ρ 0 ) 2 n/(-e∂Φ/∂r), where ν perpendicular,parallel is the collisional equipartition rate, ρ 0 is the major radius at the center of the plasma, and r is the minor radius measured from the center of the plasma. The transport flux is first calculated using this simple physical picture and then is calculated by solving the drift-kinetic Boltzmann equation. This latter calculation is not limited to a plasma with a circular cross section. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

Guiding-center models for edge plasmas and numerical simulations of isolated plasma filaments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madsen, Jens

2010-09-01

The work presented in this thesis falls into two categories: development of reduced dynamical models applicable to edge turbulence in magnetically confined fusion plasmas and numerical simulations of isolated plasma filaments in the scrape-off layer region investigating the influence of finite Larmor radius effects on the radial plasma transport. The coexistence of low-frequency fluctuations, having length scales comparable to the ion gyroradius, steep pressure gradients and strong E x B flows in the edge region of fusion plasmas violates the standard gyrokinetic ordering. In this thesis two models are presented that overcome some of the difficulties associated with the development of reduced dynamical models applicable to the edge. Second order guiding-center coordinates are derived using the phasespace Lie transform method. Using a variational principle the corresponding Vlasov-Maxwell equations expressed in guiding-center coordinates are derived including a local energy theorem. The second order terms describe lowest order finite Larmor radius effects. This set of equations might be relevant for edge plasmas due to the capability of capturing strong E x B flows and lowest order finite Larmor radius effects self-consistently. Next, an extension of the existing gyrokinetic formalism with strong flows is presented. In this work the background electric fields is dynamical, whereas earlier contributions did only incorporate a stationary electric field. In an ordering relevant for edge plasma turbulence, fully electromagnetic second order gyrokinetic coordinates and the corresponding gyrokinetic Vlasov-Maxwell equations are derived, including a local energy theorem. By taking the polarization and magnetization densities in the drift kinetic limit, we present the gyrokinetic Vlasov-Maxwell equations in a more tractable form, which could be relevant for direct numerical simulations of edge plasma turbulence. Finally, an investigation of the influence of finite Larmor

Guiding-center models for edge plasmas and numerical simulations of isolated plasma filaments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Madsen, Jens

2010-09-15

The work presented in this thesis falls into two categories: development of reduced dynamical models applicable to edge turbulence in magnetically confined fusion plasmas and numerical simulations of isolated plasma filaments in the scrape-off layer region investigating the influence of finite Larmor radius effects on the radial plasma transport. The coexistence of low-frequency fluctuations, having length scales comparable to the ion gyroradius, steep pressure gradients and strong E x B flows in the edge region of fusion plasmas violates the standard gyrokinetic ordering. In this thesis two models are presented that overcome some of the difficulties associated with the development of reduced dynamical models applicable to the edge. Second order guiding-center coordinates are derived using the phasespace Lie transform method. Using a variational principle the corresponding Vlasov-Maxwell equations expressed in guiding-center coordinates are derived including a local energy theorem. The second order terms describe lowest order finite Larmor radius effects. This set of equations might be relevant for edge plasmas due to the capability of capturing strong E x B flows and lowest order finite Larmor radius effects self-consistently. Next, an extension of the existing gyrokinetic formalism with strong flows is presented. In this work the background electric fields is dynamical, whereas earlier contributions did only incorporate a stationary electric field. In an ordering relevant for edge plasma turbulence, fully electromagnetic second order gyrokinetic coordinates and the corresponding gyrokinetic Vlasov-Maxwell equations are derived, including a local energy theorem. By taking the polarization and magnetization densities in the drift kinetic limit, we present the gyrokinetic Vlasov-Maxwell equations in a more tractable form, which could be relevant for direct numerical simulations of edge plasma turbulence. Finally, an investigation of the influence of finite Larmor

Two-point model for divertor transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galambos, J.D.; Peng, Y.K.M.

1984-04-01

Plasma transport along divertor field lines was investigated using a two-point model. This treatment requires considerably less effort to find solutions to the transport equations than previously used one-dimensional (1-D) models and is useful for studying general trends. It also can be a valuable tool for benchmarking more sophisticated models. The model was used to investigate the possibility of operating in the so-called high density, low temperature regime

Fast Propagation in Fluid Transport Models with Evolution of Turbulence Saturation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez-Bruna, D.

2012-01-01

This report compiles and extends two works on models that reproduce the experimental facts of non local transport and pulse propagation in magnetically confined fusion plasmas. The works are based on fluid transport models, originally designed to explain the formation of edge or internal transport barriers, that include fast evolution equations for the particle and heat fluxes. The heating of the plasma core in response to a sudden edge cooling or the propagation of turbulent fronts around transport barriers are a consequence of the competing roles of linear drive and non-linear reduction of the turbulent fluxes. Possibilities to use the models to interpret TJ-II plasmas are discussed. (Author) 62 refs.

Fast Propagation in Fluid Transport Models with Evolution of Turbulence Saturation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopez-Bruna, D.

2012-07-01

This report compiles and extends two works on models that reproduce the experimental facts of non local transport and pulse propagation in magnetically confined fusion plasmas. The works are based on fluid transport models, originally designed to explain the formation of edge or internal transport barriers, that include fast evolution equations for the particle and heat fluxes. The heating of the plasma core in response to a sudden edge cooling or the propagation of turbulent fronts around transport barriers are a consequence of the competing roles of linear drive and non-linear reduction of the turbulent fluxes. Possibilities to use the models to interpret TJ-II plasmas are discussed. (Author) 62 refs.

Electron cyclotron waves, transport and instabilities in hot plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Westerhof, E.

1987-01-01

A number of topics relevant to the magnetic confinement approach to the thermonuclear fusion is addressed. The absorption and emission of electron cyclotron waves in a thermal plasma with a small population of supra-thermal, streaming electrons is examined and the properties of electron cyclotron waves in a plasma with a pure loss-cone distribution are studied. A report is given on the 1-D transport code simulations that were performed to assist the interpretation of the electron cyclotron heating experiments on the TFR tokamak. Transport code simulations of sawteeth discharges in the T-10 tokamak are discussed in order to compare the predictions of different models for the sawtooth oscillations with the experimental findings. 149 refs.; 69 figs.; 7 tabs

Reactive species in non-equilibrium atmospheric-pressure plasmas: Generation, transport, and biological effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, X., E-mail: luxinpei@hotmail.com [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Electromagnetic Engineering and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074 (China); IFSA Collaborative Innovation Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Naidis, G.V. [Joint Institute for High Temperatures, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 125412 (Russian Federation); Laroussi, M. [Plasma Engineering & Medicine Institute, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529 (United States); Reuter, S. [Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology, Felix-Hausdorff-Strasse 2, 17489 Greifswald (Germany); Graves, D.B. [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Ostrikov, K. [Institute for Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000 (Australia); School of Physics, Chemistry, and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000 (Australia); Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, P.O.Box 218, Lindfield, NSW 2070 (Australia); School of Physics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia)

2016-05-04

Non-equilibrium atmospheric-pressure plasmas have recently become a topical area of research owing to their diverse applications in health care and medicine, environmental remediation and pollution control, materials processing, electrochemistry, nanotechnology and other fields. This review focuses on the reactive electrons and ionic, atomic, molecular, and radical species that are produced in these plasmas and then transported from the point of generation to the point of interaction with the material, medium, living cells or tissues being processed. The most important mechanisms of generation and transport of the key species in the plasmas of atmospheric-pressure plasma jets and other non-equilibrium atmospheric-pressure plasmas are introduced and examined from the viewpoint of their applications in plasma hygiene and medicine and other relevant fields. Sophisticated high-precision, time-resolved plasma diagnostics approaches and techniques are presented and their applications to monitor the reactive species and plasma dynamics in the plasma jets and other discharges, both in the gas phase and during the plasma interaction with liquid media, are critically reviewed. The large amount of experimental data is supported by the theoretical models of reactive species generation and transport in the plasmas, surrounding gaseous environments, and plasma interaction with liquid media. These models are presented and their limitations are discussed. Special attention is paid to biological effects of the plasma-generated reactive oxygen and nitrogen (and some other) species in basic biological processes such as cell metabolism, proliferation, survival, etc. as well as plasma applications in bacterial inactivation, wound healing, cancer treatment and some others. Challenges and opportunities for theoretical and experimental research are discussed and the authors’ vision for the emerging convergence trends across several disciplines and application domains is presented to

Final Technical Report: Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Turbulent Transport Control via Shaping of Radial Plasma Flow Profiles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schuster, Eugenio

2014-05-02

The strong coupling between the different physical variables involved in the plasma transport phenomenon and the high complexity of its dynamics call for a model-based, multivariable approach to profile control where those predictive models could be exploited. The overall objective of this project has been to extend the existing body of work by investigating numerically and experimentally active control of unstable fluctuations, including fully developed turbulence and the associated cross-field particle transport, via manipulation of flow profiles in a magnetized laboratory plasma device. Fluctuations and particle transport can be monitored by an array of electrostatic probes, and Ex B flow profiles can be controlled via a set of biased concentric ring electrodes that terminate the plasma column. The goals of the proposed research have been threefold: i- to develop a predictive code to simulate plasma transport in the linear HELCAT (HELicon-CAThode) plasma device at the University of New Mexico (UNM), where the experimental component of the proposed research has been carried out; ii- to establish the feasibility of using advanced model-based control algorithms to control cross-field turbulence-driven particle transport through appropriate manipulation of radial plasma flow profiles, iii- to investigate the fundamental nonlinear dynamics of turbulence and transport physics. Lehigh University (LU), including Prof. Eugenio Schuster and one full-time graduate student, has been primarily responsible for control-oriented modeling and model-based control design. Undergraduate students have also participated in this project through the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) program. The main goal of the LU Plasma Control Group has been to study the feasibility of controlling turbulence-driven transport by shaping the radial poloidal flow profile (i.e., by controlling flow shear) via biased concentric ring electrodes.

Modeling magnetospheric plasma; Proceedings of the First Huntsville Workshop on Magnetosphere/Ionosphere Plasma Models, Guntersville, AL, Oct. 14-16, 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, T.E.; Waite, J.H. Jr.

1988-01-01

The conference presents papers on the global modeling of magnetospheric plasma processes, the modeling of the midlatitude ionosphere and plasmasphere, the modeling of the auroral zone and boundary layer, the modeling of the polar magnetosphere and ionosphere, and the modeling of the plasma sheet and ring current. Particular attention is given to the kinetic approach in magnetospheric plasma transport modeling, self-consistent neutral point current and fields from single particle dynamics, preliminary statistical survey of plasmaspheric ion properties from observations by DE 1/RIMS, and a model of auroral potential structures based on dynamics explorer plasma data. Other topics include internal shear layers in auroral dynamics, quantitative parameterization of energetic ionospheric ion outflow, and open flux merging in an expanding polarcap model

Turbulent transport in magnetized plasmas

CERN Document Server

Horton, Wendell

2012-01-01

This book explains how magnetized plasmas self-organize in states of electromagnetic turbulence that transports particles and energy out of the core plasma faster than anticipated by the fusion scientists designing magnetic confinement systems in the 20th century. It describes theory, experiments and simulations in a unified and up-to-date presentation of the issues of achieving nuclear fusion power.

Modelling of diamond deposition microwave cavity generated plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassouni, K; Silva, F; Gicquel, A

2010-01-01

Some aspects of the numerical modelling of diamond deposition plasmas generated using microwave cavity systems are discussed. The paper mainly focuses on those models that allow (i) designing microwave cavities in order to optimize the power deposition in the discharge and (ii) estimating the detailed plasma composition in the vicinity of the substrate surface. The development of hydrogen plasma models that may be used for the self-consistent simulation of microwave cavity discharge is first discussed. The use of these models for determining the plasma configuration, composition and temperature is illustrated. Examples showing how to use these models in order to optimize the cavity structure and to obtain stable process operations are also given. A transport model for the highly reactive H 2 /CH 4 moderate pressure discharges is then presented. This model makes possible the determination of the time variation of plasma composition and temperature on a one-dimensional domain located on the plasma axis. The use of this model to analyse the transport phenomena and the chemical process in diamond deposition plasmas is illustrated. The model is also utilized to analyse pulsed mode discharges and the benefit they can bring as far as diamond growth rate and quality enhancement are concerned. We, in particular, show how the model can be employed to optimize the pulse waveform in order to improve the deposition process. Illustrations on how the model can give estimates of the species density at the growing substrate surface over a wide domain of deposition conditions are also given. This brings us to discuss the implication of the model prediction in terms of diamond growth rate and quality. (topical review)

Turbulent and neoclassical toroidal momentum transport in tokamak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abiteboul, J.

2012-10-01

The goal of magnetic confinement devices such as tokamaks is to produce energy from nuclear fusion reactions in plasmas at low densities and high temperatures. Experimentally, toroidal flows have been found to significantly improve the energy confinement, and therefore the performance of the machine. As extrinsic momentum sources will be limited in future fusion devices such as ITER, an understanding of the physics of toroidal momentum transport and the generation of intrinsic toroidal rotation in tokamaks would be an important step in order to predict the rotation profile in experiments. Among the mechanisms expected to contribute to the generation of toroidal rotation is the transport of momentum by electrostatic turbulence, which governs heat transport in tokamaks. Due to the low collisionality of the plasma, kinetic modeling is mandatory for the study of tokamak turbulence. In principle, this implies the modeling of a six-dimensional distribution function representing the density of particles in position and velocity phase-space, which can be reduced to five dimensions when considering only frequencies below the particle cyclotron frequency. This approximation, relevant for the study of turbulence in tokamaks, leads to the so-called gyrokinetic model and brings the computational cost of the model within the presently available numerical resources. In this work, we study the transport of toroidal momentum in tokamaks in the framework of the gyrokinetic model. First, we show that this reduced model is indeed capable of accurately modeling momentum transport by deriving a local conservation equation of toroidal momentum, and verifying it numerically with the gyrokinetic code GYSELA. Secondly, we show how electrostatic turbulence can break the axisymmetry and generate toroidal rotation, while a strong link between turbulent heat and momentum transport is identified, as both exhibit the same large-scale avalanche-like events. The dynamics of turbulent transport are

Discontinuity model for internal transport barrier formation in reversed magnetic shear plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kishimoto, Y.; Dettrick, S.A.; Li, J.Q.; Shirai, S.; Kim, J.Y.; Horton, W.; Tajima, T.; LeBrun, M.J.

2000-01-01

It is becoming clear that tokamak anomalous transport is dominated by radially extended non-local modes which originate from strong toroidal coupling of rational surfaces in non-uniform plasmas. To aid in understanding the internal transport barrier (ITB) formed in reversed magnetic shear experiments, in addition to the well known shear flow effect, the article points out an important non-local effect and/or finite size effect which comes from the complex behaviour of the mode over a finite radial region around the minimum q (safety factor) surface. The non-local mode, which is characterized by its radial extent and the degree of tilting in the poloidal direction (Δr, θ 0 ), changes its structure depending on the sign of the magnetic shear, and as a result such modes are weakly excited across the q min surface. This leads to a discontinuity or gap which disconnects the phase relation in the global wave structure across the q min surface. Once such a discontinuity (or gap) is formed, transport suppression occurs and therefore a transport barrier can be expected near the q min surface. The existence of this discontinuity is confirmed through use of a toroidal particle simulation. It is also shown that whether such a discontinuity is efficiently established depends on the presence of the radial electric field and the related plasma shear flow. (author)

Electron thermal transport in tokamak plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Konings, J A

1994-11-30

The process of fusion of small nuclei thereby releasing energy, as it occurs continuously in the sun, is essential for the existence of mankind. The same process applied in a controlled way on earth would provide a clean and an abundant energy source, and be the long term solution of the energy problem. Nuclear fusion requires an extremely hot (10{sup 8} K) ionized gas, a plasma, that can only be maintained if it is kept insulated from any material wall. In the so called `tokamak` this is achieved by using magnetic fields. The termal insulation, which is essential if one wants to keep the plasma at the high `fusion` temperature, can be predicted using basic plasma therory. A comparison with experiments in tokamaks, however, showed that the electron enery losses are ten to hundred times larger than this theory predicts. This `anomalous transport` of thermal energy implies that, to reach the condition for nuclear fusion, a fusion reactor must have very large dimensions. This may put the economic feasibility of fusion power in jeopardy. Therefore, in a worldwide collaboration, physicists study tokamak plasmas in an attempt to understand and control the energy losses. From a scientific point of view, the mechanisms driving anomalous transport are one of the challenges in fudamental plasma physics. In Nieuwegein, a tokamak experiment (the Rijnhuizen Tokamak Project, RTP) is dedicated to the study of anomalous transport, in an international collaboration with other laboratories. (orig./WL).

Plasma channels for electron beam transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, R.F.; Smith, J.R.; Moffatt, M.E.; Nguyen, K.T.; Uhm, H.S.

1988-01-01

In recent years, there has been much interest in transport of intense relativistic electron beams using plasma channels. These channels are formed by either: ionization of an organic gas by UV photoionization or electron impact ionization of a low pressure gas utilizing a low energy (typically several hundred volts) electron gun. The second method is discussed here. As their electron gun, the authors used a 12 volt lightbulb filament which is biased to -400 volts with respect to the grounded 15 cm diameter drift tube. The electrons emitted from the filament are confined by an axial magnetic field of --100 Gauss to create a plasma channel which is less than 1 cm in radius. The channel density has been determined with Langmuir probes and the resulting line densities were found to be 10 11 to 10 12 per cm. When a multi-kiloamp electron beam is injected onto this channel, the beam space charge will eject the plasma electrons leaving the ions behind to charge neutralize the electron beam, hence allowing the beam to propagate. In this work, the authors performed experimental studies on the dynamics of the plasma channel. These include Langmuir probe measurements of a steady state (DC) channel, as well as time-resolved Langmuir probe studies of pulsed channels. In addition they performed experimental studies of beam propagation in these plasma channels. Specifically, they observed the behavior of current transport in these channels. Detailed results of beam transport and channel studies are presented

Dynamic transport study of the plasmas with transport improvement in LHD and JT-60U

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ida, K.; Inagaki, S.; Sakamoto, R.; Tanaka, K.; Funaba, H.; Kubo, S.; Yoshinuma, M.; Shimozuma, T.; Takeiri, Y.; Ikeda, K.; Michael, C.; Tokuzawa, T.; Sakamoto, Yoshiteru; Takenaga, Hidenobu; Isayama, Akihiko; Ide, Shunsuke; Fujita, Takaaki

2006-10-01

A transport analysis during the transient phase of heating (a dynamic transport study) applied to the plasma with internal transport barriers (ITBs) in the Large Helical Device (LHD) heliotron and JT-60U tokamak is described. In the dynamic transport study 1) a slow transition between two transport branches is observed, 2) the time of the transition from the L-mode plasma to the ITB plasma is clearly determined by the onset of the flattening of the temperature profile in the core region and 3) a spontaneous phase transition from a weak, wide ITB to a strong, narrow ITB and its back-transition are observed. The flattening of the core region of the ITB transition and the back-transition between a wide ITB and a narrow ITB suggest the strong interaction of turbulent transport in space, where turbulence suppression at certain locations in the plasma causes the enhancement of turbulence and thermal diffusivity nearby. (author)

Mathematical modelling of powder material motion and transportation in high-temperature flow core during plasma coatings application

Science.gov (United States)

Bogdanovich, V. I.; Giorbelidze, M. G.

2018-03-01

A problem of mathematical modelling of powder material motion and transportation in gas thermal flow core has been addressed. Undertaken studies indicate significant impact on dynamics of motion of sprayed particles of phenomenological law for drag coefficient and accounting momentum loss of a plasma jet upon acceleration of these particles and their diameter. It is determined that at great dispersion of spraying particles, they reach detail surface at different velocity and significant particles separation takes place at spraying spot. According to the results of mathematical modelling, requirements for admissible dispersion of diameters of particles used for spraying have been formulated. Research has also allowed reducing separation of particles at the spraying spot due to the selection of the method of powder feed to the anode channel of the plasma torch.

Study of neoclassical transport in LHD plasmas by applying the DCOM/NNW neoclassical transport database

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wakasa, Arimitsu; Oikawa, Shun-ichi; Murakami, Sadayoshi

2008-01-01

In helical systems, neoclassical transport is one of the important issues in addition to anomalous transport, because of a strong temperature dependency of heat conductivity and an important role in the radial electric field determination. Therefore, the development of a reliable tool for the neoclassical transport analysis is necessary for the transport analysis in Large Helical Device (LHD). We have developed a neoclassical transport database for LHD plasmas, DCOM/NNW, where mono-energetic diffusion coefficients are evaluated by the Monte Carlo method, and the diffusion coefficient database is constructed by a neural network technique. The input parameters of the database are the collision frequency, radial electric field, minor radius, and configuration parameters (R axis , beta value, etc). In this paper, database construction including the plasma beta is investigated. A relatively large Shafranov shift occurs in the finite beta LHD plasma, and the magnetic field configuration becomes complex leading to rapid increase in the number of the Fourier modes in Boozer coordinates. DCOM/NNW can evaluate neoclassical transport accurately even in such a configuration with a large number of Fourier modes. The developed DCOM/NNW database is applied to a finite-beta LHD plasma, and the plasma parameter dependences of neoclassical transport coefficients and the ambipolar radial electric field are investigated. (author)

Tornado-like transport in a magnetized plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Poulos, Matthew; van Compernolle, Bart; Morales, George

2017-10-01

Recent heat transport experiments conducted in the LAPD device at UCLA in which avalanche events have been previously documented have also lead to the identification of a new tornado-like transport phenomenon. These tornados occur much earlier than the avalanches events, essentially in the interval following the application of the bias voltage that causes the injection of an electron beam from a ring-shaped LaB6 cathode into the afterglow of a cold, magnetized plasma. The tornados exhibit a low-frequency (4 kHz) (much lower than drift-waves), spiraling, global eigenmode whose transient behavior is responsible for significant radial transport well outside the heated region. Detailed experimental observations are compared with a Braginskii transport code that includes the effects of ExB convection induced by the spiraling global eigenmode. New insights are gained into the necessary modifications of classical transport to accurately simulate the spiraling effects and the possible interaction with avalanches. This work is supported by the NSF/DOE partnership in basic plasma science and engineering, Grant Number 1619505, and is performed at the Basic Plasma Science Facility, sponsored jointly by DOE and NSF. Sponsored by DOE/NSF at BaPSF and NSF 1619505.

Towards self-consistent plasma modelisation in presence of neoclassical tearing mode and sawteeth: effects on transport coefficients

Science.gov (United States)

Basiuk, V.; Huynh, P.; Merle, A.; Nowak, S.; Sauter, O.; Contributors, JET; the EUROfusion-IM Team

2017-12-01

The neoclassical tearing modes (NTM) increase the effective heat and particle radial transport inside the plasma, leading to a flattening of the electron and ion temperature and density profiles at a given location depending on the safety factor q rational surface (Hegna and Callen 1997 Phys. Plasmas 4 2940). In burning plasma such as in ITER, this NTM-induced increased transport could reduce significantly the fusion performance and even lead to a disruption. Validating models describing the NTM-induced transport in present experiment is thus important to help quantifying this effect on future devices. In this work, we apply an NTM model to an integrated simulation of current, heat and particle transport on JET discharges using the European transport simulator. In this model, the heat and particle radial transport coefficients are modified by a Gaussian function locally centered at the NTM position and characterized by a full width proportional to the island size through a constant parameter adapted to obtain the best simulations of experimental profiles. In the simulation, the NTM model is turned on at the same time as the mode is triggered in the experiment. The island evolution is itself determined by the modified Rutherford equation, using self-consistent plasma parameters determined by the transport evolution. The achieved simulation reproduces the experimental measurements within the error bars, before and during the NTM. A small discrepancy is observed on the radial location of the island due to a shift of the position of the computed q = 3/2 surface compared to the experimental one. To explain such small shift (up to about 12% with respect to the position observed from the experimental electron temperature profiles), sensitivity studies of the NTM location as a function of the initialization parameters are presented. First results validate both the transport model and the transport modification calculated by the NTM model.

Tungsten transport in the plasma edge at ASDEX upgrade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Janzer, Michael Arthur

2015-04-30

Heating (ICRH) limiters on the injected ICRH power was used. The phase and amplitude of the inwardly propagating tungsten signal was then observed at the erosion site and at three radial positions in the main plasma, from which two were identified in the course of this work by a thorough investigation of the tungsten radiation features in the Vacuum Ultra-Violet (VUV) spectral range. The newly found observation sites are located right in the steep gradient region, close to the Edge Transport Barrier (ETB) and slightly further inside at the pedestal top of AUG H-mode discharges. Furthermore, the parallel flows in the SOL have been monitored by spectroscopical means and Langmuir probes. The experimental results were quite unexpected, since the ELM frequency had no influence on the tungsten concentration, and the sole actuator on this quantity was the gas injection rate. The evaluation of the modulated tungsten signal revealed that neither gas puffing nor plasma shape had an measureable influence on the radial tungsten transport processes. In addition, the tungsten erosion sources were only partially responsible for the observed tungsten behavior. These observations inspired a simple model, which balanced the tungsten outflux with the tungsten influx. In this model the impurity exhaust by ELMs is not diffusive, but turbulent and linked to the ELM size. The model predicted a linear dependence between the tungsten concentration and the parallel velocity in the SOL. This linear dependence was confirmed by the spectroscopical evaluation of the SOL parallel flows.

Computationally efficient description of relativistic electron beam transport in dense plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Polomarov, Oleg; Sefkov, Adam; Kaganovich, Igor; Shvets, Gennady

2006-10-01

A reduced model of the Weibel instability and electron beam transport in dense plasma is developed. Beam electrons are modeled by macro-particles and the background plasma is represented by electron fluid. Conservation of generalized vorticity and quasineutrality of the plasma-beam system are used to simplify the governing equations. Our approach is motivated by the conditions of the FI scenario, where the beam density is likely to be much smaller than the plasma density and the beam energy is likely to be very high. For this case the growth rate of the Weibel instability is small, making the modeling of it by conventional PICs exceedingly time consuming. The present approach does not require resolving the plasma period and only resolves a plasma collisionless skin depth and is suitable for modeling a long-time behavior of beam-plasma interaction. An efficient code based on this reduced description is developed and benchmarked against the LSP PIC code. The dynamics of low and high current electron beams in dense plasma is simulated. Special emphasis is on peculiarities of its non-linear stages, such as filament formation and merger, saturation and post-saturation field and energy oscillations. *Supported by DOE Fusion Science through grant DE-FG02-05ER54840.

Two-point model for electron transport in EBT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiu, S.C.; Guest, G.E.

1980-01-01

The electron transport in EBT is simulated by a two-point model corresponding to the central plasma and the edge. The central plasma is assumed to obey neoclassical collisionless transport. The edge plasma is assumed turbulent and modeled by Bohm diffusion. The steady-state temperatures and densities in both regions are obtained as functions of neutral influx and microwave power. It is found that as the neutral influx decreases and power increases, the edge density decreases while the core density increases. We conclude that if ring instability is responsible for the T-M mode transition, and if stability is correlated with cold electron density at the edge, it will depend sensitively on ambient gas pressure and microwave power

Transport of charged particles in the plasma of an ECRIS; Transport des particules chargees dans le plasma d'ECRIS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Girard, A.; Perrer, Douysset; Melin, G. [Dept. de Recherche Fondamentale sur la Matiere Condensee CEA Centre d' Etudes de Grenoble, 38 (France)

1999-07-01

The paper has the following contents: 1. Introduction; 2. Electron transport. 2.1. Experiments - Lifetime measurements - Contradiction. 2.2. Modelling; 3. Ion transport. 3.1. Experiments - Measurement of argon K{sub {alpha}}. 3.2. Lifetime. 3.3. Proposed model, controversy; 4. Conclusion. A setup of the experiment and the results concerning the electron density, energy content, mean energy, current density, electron lifetime and lifetime of electron energy as a function of rf power are presented. The results are interpreted and modelled. Also, the experimental setup for the study of ion transport is presented. The density of argon ions is determined by means of the high resolution X ray spectra which, by making use of a simple collisional radiative model, is able to single out the argon K{sub {alpha}} rays corresponding to different ions. These results are also interpreted and modelled. In conclusion, with an electron dynamics controlled by rf, due to a high mirror ratio, the losses are limited. According to the scale law the higher the frequency the higher is the energy content of the electrons and consequently the higher are the performances. The ions are cool and colliding. Their lifetime increases with the charge. If it increases linearly their transport is controlled by the spatial diffusion in the ambipolar electric field. A correct lifetime requires plasma of high dimensions and low ionic temperature.

Turbulent transport of impurities in a magnetized plasma; Transport turbulent d'impuretes dans un plasma magnetise

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dubuit, N

2006-10-15

This work deals with the transport of impurities in magnetically confined thermonuclear plasmas. The accumulation of impurities in the core of the plasma would imply dramatic losses of energy that may lead to the extinction of the plasma. On the opposite, the injection of impurities in the plasma edge is considered as an efficient means to extract heat without damaging the first wall. The balance between these 2 contradictory constraints requires an accurate knowledge of the impurity transport inside the plasma. The effect of turbulence, the main transport mechanism for impurities is therefore a major issue. In this work, the complete formula of a turbulent flow of impurities for a given fluctuation spectrum has been inferred. The origin and features of the main accumulation processes have been identified. The main effect comes from the compressibility of the electrical shift speed in a plane perpendicular to the magnetic field. This compressibility appears to be linked to the curvature of the magnetic field. A less important effect is a thermal-diffusion process that is inversely proportional to the number of charges and then disappears for most type of impurities except the lightest. This effect implies an impurity flux proportional to the temperature gradient and its direction can change according to the average speed of fluctuations. A new version of the turbulence code TRB has been developed. This new version allows the constraints of the turbulence not by the gradients but by the flux which is more realistic. The importance of the processes described above has been confirmed by a comparison between calculation and experimental data from Tore-supra and the Jet tokamak. The prevailing role of the curvature of the magnetic field in the transport impurity is highlighted. (A.C.)

Line photon transport in a non-homogeneous plasma using radiative coupling coefficients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Florido, R.; Gil, J.M.; Rodriguez, R.; Rubiano, J.G.; Martel, P.; Florido, R.; Gil, J.M.; Rodriguez, R.; Rubiano, J.G.; Martel, P.; Minguez, E.

2006-01-01

We present a steady-state collisional-radiative model for the calculation of level populations in non-homogeneous plasmas with planar geometry. The line photon transport is taken into account following an angle- and frequency-averaged escape probability model. Several models where the same approach has been used can be found in the literature, but the main difference between our model and those ones is that the details of geometry are exactly treated in the definition of coupling coefficients and a local profile is taken into account in each plasma cell. (authors)

Physics of electron internal transport barrier in toroidal helical plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, K.; Toda, S.; Fujisawa, A.; Ida, K.; Itoh, S.-I.; Yagi, M.; Fukuyama, A.; Diamond, P.H.

2006-10-01

The role of zonal flows in the formation of the transport barrier in the helical plasmas is analyzed using the transport code. A set of one-dimensional transport equations is analyzed, including the effect of zonal flows. The turbulent transport coefficient is shown to be suppressed when the plasma state changes from the weak negative radial electric field to the strong positive one. This bifurcation of the turbulent transport is newly caused by the change of the damping rate of zonal flows. It is theoretically demonstrated that the damping rate of zonal flows governs the global confinement in toroidal plasmas. (author)

Improving the theoretical foundations of the multi-mode transport model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bateman, G.; Kritz, A.H.; Redd, A.J.; Erba, M.; Rewoldt, G.; Weiland, J.; Strand, P.; Kinsey, J.E.; Scott, B.

1999-01-01

A new version of the Multi-Mode transport model, designated MMM98, is being developed with improved theoretical foundations, in an ongoing effort to predict the temperature and density profiles in tokamaks. For transport near the edge of the plasma, MMM98 uses a new model based on 3-D nonlinear simulations of drift Alfven mode turbulence. Flow shear stabilization effects have been added to the Weiland model for Ion Temperature Gradient and Trapped Electron Modes, which usually dominates in most of the plasma core. For transport near the magnetic axis at high beta, a new kinetic ballooning mode model has been constructed based on FULL stability code computations. (author)

Improving the theoretical foundations of the multi-mode transport model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bateman, G.; Kritz, A.H.; Redd, A.J.; Erba, M.; Rewoldt, G.; Weiland, J.; Strand, P.; Kinsey, J.E.; Scott, B.

2001-01-01

A new version of the Multi-Mode transport model, designated MMM98, is being developed with improved theoretical foundations, in an ongoing effort to predict the temperature and density profiles in tokamaks. For transport near the edge of the plasma, MMM98 uses a new model based on 3-D nonlinear simulations of drift Alfven mode turbulence. Flow shear stabilization effects have been added to the Weiland model for Ion Temperature Gradient and Trapped Electron Modes, which usually dominates in most of the plasma core. For transport near the magnetic axis at high beta, a new kinetic ballooning mode model has been constructed based on FULL stability code computations. (author)

A one-dimensional transport code for the simulation of D-T burning tokamak plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tone, Tatsuzo; Maki, Koichi; Kasai, Masao; Nishida, Hidetsugu

1980-11-01

A one-dimensional transport code for D-T burning tokamak plasma has been developed, which simulates the spatial behavior of fuel ions(D, T), alpha particles, impurities, temperatures of ions and electrons, plasma current, neutrals, heating of alpha and injected beam particles. The basic transport equations are represented by one generalized equation so that the improvement of models and the addition of new equations may be easily made. A model of burn control using a variable toroidal field ripple is employed. This report describes in detail the simulation model, numerical method and the usage of the code. Some typical examples to which the code has been applied are presented. (author)

The effect of plasma fluctuations on parallel transport parameters in the SOL

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Havlíčková, E.; Fundamenski, W.; Naulin, Volker

2011-01-01

The effect of plasma fluctuations due to turbulence at the outboard midplane on parallel transport properties is investigated. Time-dependent fluctuating signals at different radial locations are used to study the effect of signal statistics. Further, a computational analysis of parallel transport...... to a comparison of steady-state and time-dependent modelling....

ADVECTIVE TRANSPORT OF INTERSTELLAR PLASMA INTO THE HELIOSPHERE ACROSS THE RECONNECTING HELIOPAUSE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strumik, M.; Grzedzielski, S.; Czechowski, A.; Macek, W. M.; Ratkiewicz, R.

2014-01-01

We discuss results of magnetohydrodynamical model simulations of plasma dynamics in the proximity of the heliopause (HP). The model is shown to fit details of the magnetic field variations observed by the Voyager 1 spacecraft during the transition from the heliosphere to the local interstellar medium (LISM). We propose an interpretation of magnetic field structures observed by Voyager 1 in terms of fine-scale physical processes. Our simulations reveal an effective transport mechanism of relatively dense LISM plasma across the reconnecting HP into the heliosphere. The mechanism is associated with annihilation of magnetic sectors in the heliospheric plasma near the HP

Tungsten transport in JET H-mode plasmas in hybrid scenario, experimental observations and modelling

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Angioni, C.; Mantica, P.; Pütterich, T.; Valisa, M.; Baruzzo, M.; Belli, A.E.; Belo, P.; Casson, F.J.; Challis, C.; Drewelow, P.; Giroud, C.; Hawkes, N.; Hender, T.C.; Hobirk, J.; Koskela, T.; Lauro Taroni, L.; Maggi, C.F.; Mlynář, Jan; Odstrčil, T.; Reinke, M.L.; Romanelli, M.

2014-01-01

Roč. 54, č. 8 (2014), 083028-083028 ISSN 0029-5515 Institutional support: RVO:61389021 Keywords : heavy impurity transport * H-mode hybrid scenario * neoclassical and turbulent transport Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 3.062, year: 2014 http://iopscience.iop.org/0029-5515/54/8/083028/pdf/0029-5515_54_8_083028.pdf

Modelling of electron transport and of sawtooth activity in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Angioni, C.

2001-10-01

Transport phenomena in tokamak plasmas strongly limit the particle and energy confinement and represent a crucial obstacle to controlled thermonuclear fusion. Within the vast framework of transport studies, three topics have been tackled in the present thesis: first, the computation of neoclassical transport coefficients for general axisymmetric equilibria and arbitrary collisionality regime; second, the analysis of the electron temperature behaviour and transport modelling of plasma discharges in the Tokamak a configuration Variable (TCV); third, the modelling and simulation of the sawtooth activity with different plasma heating conditions. The work dedicated to neoclassical theory has been undertaken in order to first analytically identify a set of equations suited for implementation in existing Fokker-Planck codes. Modifications of these codes enabled us to compute the neoclassical transport coefficients considering different realistic magnetic equilibrium configurations and covering a large range of variation of three key parameters: aspect ratio, collisionality, and effective charge number. A comparison of the numerical results with an analytical limit has permitted the identification of two expressions for the trapped particle fraction, capable of encapsulating the geometrical effects and thus enabling each transport coefficient to be fitted with a single analytical function. This has allowed us to provide simple analytical formulae for all the neoclassical transport coefficients valid for arbitrary aspect ratio and collisionality in general realistic geometry. This work is particularly useful for a correct evaluation of the neoclassical contribution in tokamak scenarios with large bootstrap cur- rent fraction, or improved confinement regimes with low anomalous transport and for the determination of the plasma current density profile, since the plasma conductivity is usually assumed neoclassical. These results have been included in the plasma transport code

Control of Internal Transport Barriers in Magnetically Confined Fusion Plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Panta, Soma; Newman, David; Sanchez, Raul; Terry, Paul

2016-10-01

In magnetic confinement fusion devices the best performance often involves some sort of transport barriers to reduce the energy and particle flow from core to edge. Those barriers create gradients in the temperature and density profiles. If gradients in the profiles are too steep that can lead to instabilities and the system collapses. Control of these barriers is therefore an important challenge for fusion devices (burning plasmas). In this work we focus on the dynamics of internal transport barriers. Using a simple 7 field transport model, extensively used for barrier dynamics and control studies, we explore the use of RF heating to control the local gradients and therefore the growth rates and shearing rates for barrier initiation and control in self-heated fusion plasmas. Ion channel barriers can be formed in self-heated plasmas with some NBI heating but electron channel barriers are very sensitive. They can be formed in self-heated plasmas with additional auxiliary heating i.e. NBI and radio-frequency(RF). Using RF heating on both electrons and ions at proper locations, electron channel barriers along with ion channel barriers can be formed and removed demonstrating a control technique. Investigating the role of pellet injection in controlling the barriers is our next goal. Work supported by DOE Grant DE-FG02-04ER54741.

Kinetic theory of nonlinear transport phenomena in complex plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishra, S. K.; Sodha, M. S.

2013-01-01

In contrast to the prevalent use of the phenomenological theory of transport phenomena, a number of transport properties of complex plasmas have been evaluated by using appropriate expressions, available from the kinetic theory, which are based on Boltzmann's transfer equation; in particular, the energy dependence of the electron collision frequency has been taken into account. Following the recent trend, the number and energy balance of all the constituents of the complex plasma and the charge balance on the particles is accounted for; the Ohmic loss has also been included in the energy balance of the electrons. The charging kinetics for the complex plasma comprising of uniformly dispersed dust particles, characterized by (i) uniform size and (ii) the Mathis, Rumpl, and Nordsieck power law of size distribution has been developed. Using appropriate expressions for the transport parameters based on the kinetic theory, the system of equations has been solved to investigate the parametric dependence of the complex plasma transport properties on the applied electric field and other plasma parameters; the results are graphically illustrated.

Electron Temperature Fluctuation Measurements and Transport Model Validation at Alcator C-Mod

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

White, Anne [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)

2017-06-22

The tokamak is a type of toroidal device used to confine a fusion plasma using large magnetic fields. Tokamaks and stellarators the leading devices for confining plasmas for fusion, and the capability to predict performance in these magnetically confined plasmas is essential for developing a sustainable fusion energy source. The magnetic configuration of tokamaks and stellarators does not exist in Nature, yet, the fundamental processes governing transport in fusion plasmas are universal – turbulence and instabilities, driven by inhomogeneity and asymmetry in the plasma, conspire to transport heat and particles across magnetic field lines and can play critical roles in impurity confinement and generation of intrinsic rotation. Turbulence exists in all plasmas, and in neutral fluids as well. The study of turbulence is essential to developing a fundamental understanding of the nature of the fourth state of matter, plasmas. Experimental studies of turbulence in tokamaks date back to early scattering observations from the late 1970s. Since that time, great advances in turbulence diagnostics have been made, all of which have significantly enhanced our knowledge and understanding of turbulence in tokamaks. Through comparisons with advanced gyrokinetic theory and turbulent-transport models a great deal of evidence exists to implicate turbulent-driven transport as an important mechanism determining transport in all channels: heat, particle and momentum However, prediction and control of turbulent-driven transport remains elusive. Key to development of predictive transport models for magnetically confined fusion plasmas is validation of the nonlinear gyrokinetic transport model, which describes transport due to turbulence. Validation of gyrokinetic codes must include detailed and quantitative comparisons with measured turbulence characteristics, in addition to comparisons with inferred transport levels and equilibrium profiles. For this reason, advanced plasma diagnostics

Plasma-particle interaction effects in induction plasma modelling under dense loading conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Proulx, P.; Mostaghimi, J.; Boulos, M.

1983-07-01

The injection of solid particles or aerosol droplets in the fire-ball of an inductively coupled plasma can substantially perturb the plasma and even quench it under high loading conditions. This can be mainly attributed to the local cooling of the plasma by the particles or their vapour cloud, combined with the possible change of the thermodynamic and transport properties of the plasma in the presence of the particle vapour. This paper reports the state-of-the-art in the mathematical modelling of the induction plasma. A particle-in-cell model is used in order to combine the continuum approach for the calculation of the flow, temperature and concentration fields in the plasma, with the stochastic single particle approach, for the calculation of the particle trajectories and temperature histories. Results are given for an argon induction plasma under atmospheric pressure in which fine copper particles are centrally injected in the coil region of the discharge

BOOK REVIEW: Transport and Structural Formation in Plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Thyagaraja, A.

1999-06-01

tokamak can be taken as an illustrative example) are clearly dissipative open systems, which are invariably driven far from thermodynamic equilibrium by means of a suitable set of external particle, momentum, energy and current sources. In this sense, such plasmas are analogous to the Earth's atmosphere and many other fluid dynamic systems one encounters in engineering and physics. It is well known that the transport processes in such systems are describable by strictly collisional, kinetically derived models such as neoclassical theory or laminar fluid flow equations only in exceptional circumstances. The generic case is one in which the system acquires `structure' in the sense that symmetry-breaking spatio-temporal turbulent micro/mesoscale fluctuations `spontaneously' occur, and in their turn influence the macroscale evolution of the system. Thus, given typical values of density, temperature, magnetic field and current, the tokamak plasma does not automatically reach a steady state consistent with the sources, symmetry and neoclassical equations. Rather, one finds a more or less turbulent state which often (but not always!) involves much worse thermal and particle insulation than expected on the grounds of Coulomb collisional processes alone. The authors seek to promulgate a particular model which does not require the existence (in principle) of any linear instability of the `equilibrium'. This is a well-known state of affairs in fluid dynamics (e.g. pipe flow) when turbulence can occur in spite of the fact that linear theory predicts the equilibrium to be stable. While this is indeed a welcome clarification of the relatively limited role of linear theory in describing plasma turbulence in any detailed predictive sense, it is not clear why the authors elevate `subcritical turbulence' to a fundamental principle. While it may well be present, it is in general neither necessary nor sufficient to explain turbulent transport in plasmas. In this reviewer's opinion, at the

Transport analysis of oscillatory state for plasma dynamics in helical plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toda, S.; Itoh, K.

2012-11-01

In helical plasmas, two kinds of the oscillation for the plasma quantities are experimentally observed. Firstly, the limit cycle phenomena in the temporal evolution of the electrostatic potential, namely the electric pulsation, have been observed in the core region. The temporally self-generated oscillation of the radial electric field is shown as a simulation result in the core region. The dependence of the transition point for the radial electric field on the source is examined. Secondly, the density limit oscillation in the helical device was reported. To realize the oscillation phenomena at the density limit, the temporal evolution of the density profile is newly included in a simulation when the radiative loss is calculated in the edge region. Two stationary plasma states, where the transport loss or radiative loss is dominant in the edge region, are obtained. The dynamics of the plasma quantity is found to show the transition from the transport-dominated state to the radiation-dominated state. (author)

Increased understanding of the dynamics and transport in ITB plasmas from multi-machine comparisons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gohil, P.; Kinsey, J.; Parail, V.

2003-01-01

Our understanding of the physics of internal transport barriers (ITBs) is being furthered by analysis and comparisons of experimental data from many different tokamaks worldwide. An international database consisting of scalar and 2-D profile data on ITB plasmas is being developed to determine the requirements for the formation and sustainment of ITBs and to perform tests of theory-based transport models in an effort to improve the predictive capability of the models. Tests of several transport models (JETTO, Weiland model) using the 2-D profile data indicate that there is only limited agreement between the model predictions and the experimental results for the range of plasma conditions examined for the different devices (DIII-D, JET, JT-60U). Gyrokinetic stability analysis of the ITB discharges from these devices indicates that the ITG/TEM growth rates decrease with increased negative magnetic shear and that the ExB shear rate is comparable to the linear growth rates at the location of the ITB. (author)

Transport modelling including radial electric field and plasma rotation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukuyama, A.; Fuji, Y.; Itoh, S.-I.

1994-01-01

Using a simple turbulent transport model with a constant diffusion coefficient and a fixed temperature profile, the density profile in a steady state and the transient behaviour during the co and counter neutral beam injection are studied. More consistent analysis has been initiated with a turbulent transport model based on the current diffusive high-n ballooning mode. The enhancement of the radial electric field due to ion orbit losses and the reduction of the transport due to the poloidal rotation shear are demonstrated. The preliminary calculation indicates a sensitive temperature dependence of the density profile. (author)

Comparison of empirical transport models with transient transport experiments in LHD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yakovlev, Mikhail; Inagaki, Shigeru; Ida, Katsumi

2004-01-01

A study of the electron transport in helical plasma of Large Helical Device (LHD) has been performed using a perturbation to an equilibrium state. The periodic perturbation in plasma is induced by on-axis Electron Cyclotron Heating (ECH) modulated signal for different temperatures of plasma electron. The experimental data are compared with results from simulation within framework of the diffusive model with additional convective term. The convection heat flux is introduced to describe the heat propagation in LHD. It has been shown that the dynamic plasma heat diffusivity coefficient χ e estimated from the transient analysis becomes larger with increasing electron temperature in LHD plasma. (author)

Effect of plasma membrane fluidity on serotonin transport by endothelial cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Block, E.R.; Edwards, D.

1987-01-01

To evaluate the effect of plasma membrane fluidity of lung endothelial cells on serotonin transport, porcine pulmonary artery endothelial cells were incubated for 3 h with either 0.1 mM cholesterol hemisuccinate, 0.1 mM cis-vaccenic acid, or vehicle (control), after which plasma membrane fluidity and serotinin transport were measured. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to measure fluidity in the plasma membrane. Serotonin uptake was calculated from the disappearance of [ 14 C]-serotonin from the culture medium. Cholesterol decreased fluidity in the subpolar head group and central and midacyl side-chain regions of the plasma membrane and decreased serotonin transport, whereas cis-vaccenic acid increased fluidity in the central and midacyl side-chain regions of the plasma membrane and also increased serotonin transport. Cis-vaccenic acid had no effect of fluidity in the subpolar head group region of the plasma membrane. These results provide evidence that the physical state of the central and midacyl chains within the pulmonary artery endothelial cell plasma membrane lipid bilayer modulates transmembrane transport of serotonin by these cells

UCLA program in theory and modeling of edge physics and plasma material interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conn, R.W.; Najmabadi, F.; Grossman, A.; Merriman, B.; Day, M.

1992-01-01

Our research activity in edge plasma modeling is directed towards understanding edge plasma behavior and towards innovative solutions for controlling the edge plasma as well as the design and operation of impurity control, particle exhaust. and plasma facing components. During the last nine months, substantial progress was made in many areas. The highlights are: (A) Development of a second-generation edge-plasma simulation code (Section II); (B) Development of models for gas-target divertors, including a 1 1/2-D fluid model for plasma and Monte Carlo neutral-transport simulations (Section III); and (C) Utilization of the RF ponderomotive force and electrostatic biasing to distribute the heat load on a larger area of the divertor plate, and the development of analytical and numerical transport models that include both ponderomotive and electrostatic potentials

Anomalous energy transport in hot plasmas: solar corona and Tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beaufume, P.

1992-04-01

Anomalous energy transport is studied in two hot plasmas and appears to be associated with a heating of the solar corona and with a plasma deconfining process in tokamaks. The magnetic structure is shown to play a fundamental role in this phenomenon through small scale instabilities which are modelized by means of a nonlinear dynamical system: the Beasts' Model. Four behavior classes are found for this system, which are automatically classified in the parameter space thanks to a neural network. We use a compilation of experimental results relative to the solar corona to discuss current-based heating processes. We find that a simple Joule effect cannot provide the required heating rates, and therefore propose a dimensional model involving a resistive reconnective instability which leads to an efficient and discontinuous heating mechanism. Results are in good agreement with the observations. We give an analytical expression for a diffusion coefficient in tokamaks when magnetic turbulence is perturbing the topology, which we validate thanks to the standard mapping. A realistic version of the Beasts' Model allows to test a candidate to anomalous transport: the thermal filamentation instability

Plasma disruption modeling and simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassanein, A.

1994-01-01

Disruptions in tokamak reactors are considered a limiting factor to successful operation and reliable design. The behavior of plasma-facing components during a disruption is critical to the overall integrity of the reactor. Erosion of plasma facing-material (PFM) surfaces due to thermal energy dump during the disruption can severely limit the lifetime of these components and thus diminish the economic feasibility of the reactor. A comprehensive understanding of the interplay of various physical processes during a disruption is essential for determining component lifetime and potentially improving the performance of such components. There are three principal stages in modeling the behavior of PFM during a disruption. Initially, the incident plasma particles will deposit their energy directly on the PFM surface, heating it to a very high temperature where ablation occurs. Models for plasma-material interactions have been developed and used to predict material thermal evolution during the disruption. Within a few microseconds after the start of the disruption, enough material is vaporized to intercept most of the incoming plasma particles. Models for plasma-vapor interactions are necessary to predict vapor cloud expansion and hydrodynamics. Continuous heating of the vapor cloud above the material surface by the incident plasma particles will excite, ionize, and cause vapor atoms to emit thermal radiation. Accurate models for radiation transport in the vapor are essential for calculating the net radiated flux to the material surface which determines the final erosion thickness and consequently component lifetime. A comprehensive model that takes into account various stages of plasma-material interaction has been developed and used to predict erosion rates during reactor disruption, as well during induced disruption in laboratory experiments

Phenomenological studies of electron-beam transport in wire-plasma channels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lockwood, G.J.; Beezhold, W.

1980-01-01

Multiple electron-beam transport in air through plasma channels is an important method for delivering many intense beams to a bremsstrahlung converter system. This paper reports work intended to optimize this transport technique with emphasis on transport through curved channels and on transport efficiencies. Curved-channel transport allows accelerators such as Sandia's PROTO II and PBFA I facilities to be used as flash x-ray sources for weapon effects simulation without reconfiguring the diodes or developing advanced converters. The formation mechanisms of wire-initiated plasma channels in air were examined and the subsequent transport efficiencies of relativistic electron beams through various-length straight and curved plasma channels were determined. Electron transport efficiency through a channel was measured to be 80 to 100% of a zero length channel for 40 cm long straight channels and for curved channels which re-directed the electron beam through an angle of 90 0 . Studies of simultaneous e-beam transport along two curved channels closely spaced at the converter showed that transport efficiency remained at 80 to 100%. However, it was observed that the two e-beams were displaced towards each other. Transport efficiency was observed to depend only weakly on parameters such as wire material, wire length and shape, diode anode aperture, e-beam injection time, and wire-channel applied voltage. For off-center injection conditions the electron beam strongly perturbed the plasma channel in periodic or regularly spaced patterns even though the total energy lost by the electron beam remained small. Plasma-channel transport, when all experimental parameters have been optimized for maximum transport efficiency, is a workable method for directing electron beams to a converter target

Combined core/boundary layer plasma transport simulations in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prinja, A.K.; Schafer, R.F. Jr.; Conn, R.W.; Howe, H.C.

1987-01-01

Significant new numerical results are presented from self-consistent core and boundary or scrape-off layer plasma simulations with 3-D neutral transport calculations. For a symmetric belt limiter it is shown that, for plasma conditions considered here, the pump limiter collection efficiency increases from 11% to 18% of the core efflux as a result of local reionization of blade deflected neutrals. This hitherto unobserved effect causes a significant amplification of upstream ion flux entering the pump limiter. Results from coupling of an earlier developed two-zone edge plasma model ODESSA to the PROCTR core plasma simulation code indicates that intense recycling divertor operation may not be possible because of stagnation of upstream flow velocity. This results in a self-consistent reduction of density gradient in an intermediate region between the central plasma and separatrix, and a concomitant reduction of core-efflux. There is also evidence of increased recycling at the first wall. (orig.)

Analysis of influence of the radial electric field on turbulent transport in tandem mirror plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khvesyuk, Vladimir I.; Chirkov, Alexei Yu.; Pshenichnikov, Anton A.

2000-01-01

The model of anomalous transport in cylindrical non-uniform steady state plasma in uniform magnetic field under the influence of many mode drift wave oscillations is suggested. The effect of anomalous transport suppression due to radial electric field is studied, and physical picture of H mode in plasma of GAMMA-10 tandem mirror device is considered. Presented theoretical and numerical results agree with the experimental data obtained on GAMMA-10. (author)

Turbulence and transport in a magnetized argon plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pots, B.F.M.

1979-01-01

An experimental study on turbulence and transport in the highly ionized argon plasma of a hollow cathode discharge is described. In order to determine the plasma parameters three standard diagnostics have been used, whilst two diagnostics have been developed to study the plasma turbulence. (Auth.)

Numerical study of divertor plasma transport with thermal force due to temperature gradient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohtsu, Shigeki; Tanaka, Satoru; Yamawaki, Michio

1992-01-01

A one-dimensional, steady state divertor plasma model is developed in order to study the carbon impurity transport phenomena considering thermal force. The divertor plasma is composed of four regions in terms of momentum transport between hydrogen and carbon impurity: Momentum transferring region, equilibrium region, hydrogen recycling region and carbon recycling region. In the equilibrium region where the friction force is counterbalanced by the thermal force, the localization of carbon impurity occurs. The sufficient condition to avoid the reverse of carbon velocity due to the thermal force is evaluated. (orig.)

Plasma transport near material boundaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singer, C.E.

1985-06-01

The fluid theory of two-dimensional (2-d) plasma transport in axisymmetric devices is reviewed. The forces which produce flow across the magnetic field in a collisional plasma are described. These flows may lead to up-down asymmetries in the poloidal rotation and radial fluxes. Emphasis is placed on understanding the conditions under which the known 2-d plasma fluid equations provide a valid description of these processes. Attempts to extend the fluid treatment to less collisional, turbulent plasmas are discussed. A reduction to the 1-d fluid equations used in many computer simulations is possible when sources or boundary conditions provide a large enough radial scale length. The complete 1-d fluid equations are given in the text, and 2-d fluid equations are given in the Appendix

Cold flame on Biofilm - Transport of Plasma Chemistry from Gas to Liquid Phase

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Michael

2014-10-01

One of the most active and fastest growing fields in low-temperature plasma science today is biological effects of gas plasmas and their translation in many challenges of societal importance such as healthcare, environment, agriculture, and nanoscale fabrication and synthesis. Using medicine as an example, there are already three FDA-approved plasma-based surgical procedures for tissue ablation and blood coagulation and at least five phase-II clinical trials on plasma-assisted wound healing therapies. A key driver for realizing the immense application potential of near room-temperature ambient pressure gas plasmas, commonly known as cold atmospheric plasmas or CAP, is to build a sizeable interdisciplinary knowledge base with which to unravel, optimize, and indeed design how reactive plasma species interact with cells and their key components such as protein and DNA. Whilst a logical objective, it is a formidable challenge not least since existing knowledge of gas discharges is largely in the gas-phase and therefore not directly applicable to cell-containing matters that are covered by or embedded in liquid (e.g. biofluid). Here, we study plasma inactivation of biofilms, a jelly-like structure that bacteria use to protect themselves and a major source of antimicrobial resistance. As 60--90% of biofilm is made of water, we develop a holistic model incorporating physics and chemistry in the upstream CAP-generating region, a plasma-exit region as a buffer for as-phase transport, and a downstream liquid region bordering the gas buffer region. A special model is developed to account for rapid chemical reactions accompanied the transport of gas-phase plasma species through the gas-liquid interface and for liquid-phase chemical reactions. Numerical simulation is used to illustrate how key reactive oxygen species (ROS) are transported into the liquid, and this is supported with experimental data of both biofilm inactivation using plasmas and electron spin spectroscopy (ESR

Effects of varying the step particle distribution on a probabilistic transport model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouzat, S.; Farengo, R.

2005-01-01

The consequences of varying the step particle distribution on a probabilistic transport model, which captures the basic features of transport in plasmas and was recently introduced in Ref. 1 [B. Ph. van Milligen et al., Phys. Plasmas 11, 2272 (2004)], are studied. Different superdiffusive transport mechanisms generated by a family of distributions with algebraic decays (Tsallis distributions) are considered. It is observed that the possibility of changing the superdiffusive transport mechanism improves the flexibility of the model for describing different situations. The use of the model to describe the low (L) and high (H) confinement modes is also analyzed

Two dimensional neutral transport analysis in tokamak plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimizu, Katsuhiro; Azumi, Masafumi

1987-02-01

Neutral particle influences the particle and energy balance, and play an important role on sputtering impurity and the charge exchange loss of neutral beam injection. In order to study neutral particle behaviour including the effects of asymmetric source and divertor configuration, the two dimensional neutral transport code has been developed using the Monte-Carlo techniques. This code includes the calculation of the H α radiation intensity based on the collisional-radiation model. The particle confinement time of the joule heated plasma in JT-60 tokamak is evaluated by comparing the calculated H α radiation intensity with the experimental data. The effect of the equilibrium on the neutral density profile in high-β plasma is also investigated. (author)

Dense high-temperature plasma transport processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giniyatova, Sh.G.

2002-01-01

In this work the transport processes in dense high-temperature semiclassical plasma are studied on the base of the kinetic equation, where the semiclassical potential was used, in its collision integral. The coefficient of plasma electrical conductivity, viscosity and thermal conductivity were received. There were compared with the other authors' results. The Grad's method was used obtaining of viscosity and thermal coefficients. (author)

Multi-energy soft-x-ray technique for impurity transport measurements in the fusion plasma edge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clayton, D J; Tritz, K; Stutman, D; Finkenthal, M; Kumar, D; Kaye, S M; LeBlanc, B P; Paul, S; Sabbagh, S A

2012-01-01

A new diagnostic technique was developed to produce high-resolution impurity transport measurements of the steep-gradient edge of fusion plasmas. Perturbative impurity transport measurements were performed for the first time in the NSTX plasma edge (r/a ∼ 0.6 to the SOL) with short neon gas puffs, and the resulting line and continuum emission was measured with the new edge multi-energy soft-x-ray (ME-SXR) diagnostic. Neon transport is modeled with the radial impurity transport code STRAHL and the resulting x-ray emission is computed using the ADAS atomic database. The radial transport coefficient profiles D(r) and v(r), and the particle flux from the gas puff Φ(t), are the free parameters in this model and are varied to find the best fit to experimental x-ray emissivity measurements, with bolometry used to constrain the impurity source. Initial experiments were successful and results were consistent with previous measurements of core impurity transport and neoclassical transport calculations. New diagnostic tools will be implemented on NSTX-U to further improve these transport measurements. (paper)

Dynamic transport study of the plasmas with transport improvement in LHD and JT-60U

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ida, K.; Inagaki, S.; Sakamoto, R.; Tanaka, K.; Fujita, T.; Funaba, H.; Kubo, S.; Yoshinuma, M.; Shimozuma, T.; Takeiri, Y.; Ikeda, K.; Michael, C.; Tokuzawa, T.; Sakamoto, Y.; Takenaga, H.; Isayama, A.; Matsunaga, G.; Ide, S.

2009-01-01

Transport analysis during the transient phase of heating (a dynamic transport study) applied to the plasma with internal transport barriers (ITBs) in the Large Helical Device (LHD) heliotron and the JT-60U tokamak is described. In the dynamic transport study the time of transition from the L-mode plasma to the ITB plasma is clearly determined by the onset of flattening of the temperature profile in the core region and a spontaneous phase transition from a zero curvature ITB (hyperbolic tangent shaped ITB) or a positive curvature ITB (concaved shaped ITB) to a negative curvature ITB (convex shaped ITB) and its back-transition are observed. The flattening of the core region of the ITB transition and the back-transition between a zero curvature ITB and a convex ITB suggest the strong interaction of turbulent transport in space.

Internal transport barrier in tokamak and helical plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Ida, K.; Fujita, T.

2018-03-01

The differences and similarities between the internal transport barriers (ITBs) of tokamak and helical plasmas are reviewed. By comparing the characteristics of the ITBs in tokamak and helical plasmas, the mechanisms of the physics for the formation and dynamics of the ITB are clarified. The ITB is defined as the appearance of discontinuity of temperature, flow velocity, or density gradient in the radius. From the radial profiles of temperature, flow velocity, and density the ITB is characterized by the three parameters of normalized temperature gradient, R/{L}T, the location, {ρ }{ITB}, and the width, W/a, and can be expressed by ‘weak’ ITB (small R/{L}T) or ‘strong’ (large R/{L}T), ‘small’ ITB (small {ρ }{ITB}) or ‘large’ ITB (large {ρ }{ITB}), and ‘narrow’ (small W/a) or ‘wide’ (large W/a). Three key physics elements for the ITB formation, radial electric field shear, magnetic shear, and rational surface (and/or magnetic island) are described. The characteristics of electron and ion heat transport and electron and impurity transport are reviewed. There are significant differences in ion heat transport and electron heat transport. The dynamics of ITB formation and termination is also discussed. The emergence of the location of the ITB is sometimes far inside the ITB foot in the steady-state phase and the ITB region shows radial propagation during the formation of the ITB. The non-diffusive terms in momentum transport and impurity transport become more dominant in the plasma with the ITB. The reversal of the sign of non-diffusive terms in momentum transport and impurity transport associated with the formation of the ITB reported in helical plasma is described. Non-local transport plays an important role in determining the radial profile of temperature and density. The spontaneous change in temperature curvature (second radial derivative of temperature) in the ITB region is described. In addition, the key parameters of the control of the

Plasma viscosity with mass transport in spherical inertial confinement fusion implosion simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vold, E. L.; Molvig, K. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States); Joglekar, A. S. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States); Ortega, M. I. [University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131 (United States); Moll, R. [University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064 (United States); Fenn, D. [Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306 (United States)

2015-11-15

The effects of viscosity and small-scale atomic-level mixing on plasmas in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) currently represent challenges in ICF research. Many current ICF hydrodynamic codes ignore the effects of viscosity though recent research indicates viscosity and mixing by classical transport processes may have a substantial impact on implosion dynamics. We have implemented a Lagrangian hydrodynamic code in one-dimensional spherical geometry with plasma viscosity and mass transport and including a three temperature model for ions, electrons, and radiation treated in a gray radiation diffusion approximation. The code is used to study ICF implosion differences with and without plasma viscosity and to determine the impacts of viscosity on temperature histories and neutron yield. It was found that plasma viscosity has substantial impacts on ICF shock dynamics characterized by shock burn timing, maximum burn temperatures, convergence ratio, and time history of neutron production rates. Plasma viscosity reduces the need for artificial viscosity to maintain numerical stability in the Lagrangian formulation and also modifies the flux-limiting needed for electron thermal conduction.

Dynamical interplay between fluctuations, electric fields and transport in fusion plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hidalgo, C.; Pedrosa, M.A.; Goncalves, B.

2003-01-01

A view of recent experimental results and progress in the characterization of the statistical properties of electrostatic turbulence in magnetically confined devices is given. An empirical similarity in the scaling properties of the probability distribution function (PDF) of turbulent transport has been observed in the plasma edge region in fusion plasmas. The investigation of the dynamical interplay between fluctuation in gradients, turbulent transport and radial electric fields has shows that these parameters are strongly coupled both in tokamak and stellarator plasmas. The bursty behaviour of turbulent transport is linked with a departure from the most probable radial gradient. The dynamical relation between fluctuations in gradients and transport is strongly affected by the presence of sheared poloidal flows which organized themselves near marginal stability. These results emphasize the importance of the statistical description of transport processes in fusion plasmas as an alternative approach to the traditional way to characterize transport based on the computation of effective transport coefficients. (author)

Modern methods in collisional-radiative modeling of plasmas

CERN Document Server

2016-01-01

This book provides a compact yet comprehensive overview of recent developments in collisional-radiative (CR) modeling of laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. It describes advances across the entire field, from basic considerations of model completeness to validation and verification of CR models to calculation of plasma kinetic characteristics and spectra in diverse plasmas. Various approaches to CR modeling are presented, together with numerous examples of applications. A number of important topics, such as atomic models for CR modeling, atomic data and its availability and quality, radiation transport, non-Maxwellian effects on plasma emission, ionization potential lowering, and verification and validation of CR models, are thoroughly addressed. Strong emphasis is placed on the most recent developments in the field, such as XFEL spectroscopy. Written by leading international research scientists from a number of key laboratories, the book offers a timely summary of the most recent progress in this area. It ...

Electron heat transport analysis of low-collisionality plasmas in the neoclassical-transport-optimized configuration of LHD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murakami, Sadayoshi; Yamada, Hiroshi; Wakasa, Arimitsu

2002-01-01

Electron heat transport in low-collisionality LHD plasma is investigated in order to study the neoclassical transport optimization effect on thermal plasma transport with an optimization level typical of so-called ''advanced stellarators''. In the central region, a higher electron temperature is obtained in the optimized configuration, and transport analysis suggests the considerable effect of neoclassical transport on the electron heat transport assuming the ion-root level of radial electric field. The obtained experimental results support future reactor design in which the neoclassical and/or anomalous transports are reduced by magnetic field optimization in a non-axisymmetric configuration. (author)

Global numerical modeling of magnetized plasma in a linear device

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Magnussen, Michael Løiten

Understanding the turbulent transport in the plasma-edge in fusion devices is of utmost importance in order to make precise predictions for future fusion devices. The plasma turbulence observed in linear devices shares many important features with the turbulence observed in the edge of fusion dev...... with simulations performed at different ionization levels, using a simple model for plasma interaction with neutrals. It is found that the steady state and the saturated state of the system bifurcates when the neutral interaction dominates the electron-ion collisions.......Understanding the turbulent transport in the plasma-edge in fusion devices is of utmost importance in order to make precise predictions for future fusion devices. The plasma turbulence observed in linear devices shares many important features with the turbulence observed in the edge of fusion...... devices, and are easier to diagnose due to lower temperatures and a better access to the plasma. In order to gain greater insight into this complex turbulent behavior, numerical simulations of plasma in a linear device are performed in this thesis. Here, a three-dimensional drift-fluid model is derived...

Validation of transport models using additive flux minimization technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pankin, A. Y.; Kruger, S. E. [Tech-X Corporation, 5621 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, Colorado 80303 (United States); Groebner, R. J. [General Atomics, San Diego, California 92121 (United States); Hakim, A. [Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-0451 (United States); Kritz, A. H.; Rafiq, T. [Department of Physics, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015 (United States)

2013-10-15

A new additive flux minimization technique is proposed for carrying out the verification and validation (V and V) of anomalous transport models. In this approach, the plasma profiles are computed in time dependent predictive simulations in which an additional effective diffusivity is varied. The goal is to obtain an optimal match between the computed and experimental profile. This new technique has several advantages over traditional V and V methods for transport models in tokamaks and takes advantage of uncertainty quantification methods developed by the applied math community. As a demonstration of its efficiency, the technique is applied to the hypothesis that the paleoclassical density transport dominates in the plasma edge region in DIII-D tokamak discharges. A simplified version of the paleoclassical model that utilizes the Spitzer resistivity for the parallel neoclassical resistivity and neglects the trapped particle effects is tested in this paper. It is shown that a contribution to density transport, in addition to the paleoclassical density transport, is needed in order to describe the experimental profiles. It is found that more additional diffusivity is needed at the top of the H-mode pedestal, and almost no additional diffusivity is needed at the pedestal bottom. The implementation of this V and V technique uses the FACETS::Core transport solver and the DAKOTA toolkit for design optimization and uncertainty quantification. The FACETS::Core solver is used for advancing the plasma density profiles. The DAKOTA toolkit is used for the optimization of plasma profiles and the computation of the additional diffusivity that is required for the predicted density profile to match the experimental profile.

Validation of transport models using additive flux minimization technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pankin, A. Y.; Kruger, S. E.; Groebner, R. J.; Hakim, A.; Kritz, A. H.; Rafiq, T.

2013-01-01

A new additive flux minimization technique is proposed for carrying out the verification and validation (V and V) of anomalous transport models. In this approach, the plasma profiles are computed in time dependent predictive simulations in which an additional effective diffusivity is varied. The goal is to obtain an optimal match between the computed and experimental profile. This new technique has several advantages over traditional V and V methods for transport models in tokamaks and takes advantage of uncertainty quantification methods developed by the applied math community. As a demonstration of its efficiency, the technique is applied to the hypothesis that the paleoclassical density transport dominates in the plasma edge region in DIII-D tokamak discharges. A simplified version of the paleoclassical model that utilizes the Spitzer resistivity for the parallel neoclassical resistivity and neglects the trapped particle effects is tested in this paper. It is shown that a contribution to density transport, in addition to the paleoclassical density transport, is needed in order to describe the experimental profiles. It is found that more additional diffusivity is needed at the top of the H-mode pedestal, and almost no additional diffusivity is needed at the pedestal bottom. The implementation of this V and V technique uses the FACETS::Core transport solver and the DAKOTA toolkit for design optimization and uncertainty quantification. The FACETS::Core solver is used for advancing the plasma density profiles. The DAKOTA toolkit is used for the optimization of plasma profiles and the computation of the additional diffusivity that is required for the predicted density profile to match the experimental profile

Finite beta effects on turbulent transport in tokamak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hein, Tobias

2011-01-01

The research on the transport properties of magnetically confined plasmas plays an essential role towards the achievement of practical nuclear fusion energy. An economically viable fusion reactor is expected to operate at high plasma pressure. This implies that the detailed study of the impact of electromagnetic effects, whose strength increases with increasing pressure, is of critical importance. In the present work, the electromagnetic effects on the particle, momentum and heat transport channels have been investigated, with both analytical and numerical calculations. Transport processes due to a finite plasma pressure have been identified, their physical mechanisms have been explained, and their contributions have been quantified, showing that they can be significant under experimentally relevant conditions.

Classical dissipation and transport in plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hinton, F.L.

1989-01-01

This paper reviews the subject of classical and neoclassical transport. The paper is organized into four main parts, dealing with plasma kinetic theory, classical transport, neoclassical transport, and the present state of the subject. The results of the neoclassical theory of transport are still being used to give the lower limit on the transport rates in tokamaks, which would apply if instabilities and turbulence could be suppressed. So far, only the ion thermal conductivity and the current density have been found experimentally to agree with this theory, and only under special conditions. The electron thermal conductivity has been found experimentally to be much larger than the neoclassical prediction

Nonlinear neoclassical transport in toroidal edge plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fueloep, T.; Helander, P.

2001-01-01

In conventional neoclassical theory, the density and temperature gradients are not allowed to be as steep as frequently observed in the tokamak edge. In this paper the theory of neoclassical transport in a collisional, impure plasma is extended to allow for steeper profiles than normally assumed. The dynamics of highly charged impurity ions then becomes nonlinear, which affects the transport of all species. As earlier found in the banana regime, when the bulk plasma gradients are large the impurity ions undergo a poloidal redistribution, which reduces their parallel friction with the bulk ions and suppresses the neoclassical ion particle flux. The neoclassical confinement is thus improved in regions with large radial gradients. When the plasma is collisional and the gradients are large, the impurities accumulate on the inboard side of the torus

Multi-scale modelling and numerical simulation of electronic kinetic transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duclous, R.

2009-11-01

This research thesis which is at the interface between numerical analysis, plasma physics and applied mathematics, deals with the kinetic modelling and numerical simulations of the electron energy transport and deposition in laser-produced plasmas, having in view the processes of fuel assembly to temperature and density conditions necessary to ignite fusion reactions. After a brief review of the processes at play in the collisional kinetic theory of plasmas, with a focus on basic models and methods to implement, couple and validate them, the author focuses on the collective aspect related to the free-streaming electron transport equation in the non-relativistic limit as well as in the relativistic regime. He discusses the numerical development and analysis of the scheme for the Vlasov-Maxwell system, and the selection of a validation procedure and numerical tests. Then, he investigates more specific aspects of the collective transport: the multi-specie transport, submitted to phase-space discontinuities. Dealing with the multi-scale physics of electron transport with collision source terms, he validates the accuracy of a fast Monte Carlo multi-grid solver for the Fokker-Planck-Landau electron-electron collision operator. He reports realistic simulations for the kinetic electron transport in the frame of the shock ignition scheme, the development and validation of a reduced electron transport angular model. He finally explores the relative importance of the processes involving electron-electron collisions at high energy by means a multi-scale reduced model with relativistic Boltzmann terms

Development of plasma diagnostics technologies - Measurement of transport= parameters in tokamak edge plasma by using electric transport probes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Kyu Sun; Chang, Do Hee; Sim, Yeon Gun; Kim, Jin Hee [Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1995-08-01

Electric transport probe system is developed for the measurement of electron temperature, floating potential, plasma density and flow velocity of= edge plasmas in the KT-2 medium size tokamak. Experiments have been performed in KT-1 small size tokamak. Electric transport probe is composed of a single probe(SP) and a Mach probe (MP). SP is used for the measurements of electron density, floating potential, and plasma density and measured values are {approx} 3*10{sup 11}/cm{sup -3}, -20 volts, 15 {approx} 25 eV. For the most discharges, respectively. MP is for the measurements of toroidal(M{sub T}) and poloidal(M{sub P}) flow velocities, and density, which are M{sub T} {approx_equal} .0.85, M{sub P} {approx_equal}. 0.17, n. {approx_equal} 2.1*10{sup 11} cm{sup -3}, respectively. A triple probe is also developed for the direct reading of T{sub e} and n{sub e}, and is used for DC, RF, and RF+DC plasma in APL of Hanyang university. 38 refs., 36 figs. (author)

Light-induced modification of plant plasma membrane ion transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Marten, I; Deeken, R; Hedrich, R; Roelfsema, M R G

2010-09-01

Light is not only the driving force for electron and ion transport in the thylakoid membrane, but also regulates ion transport in various other membranes of plant cells. Light-dependent changes in ion transport at the plasma membrane and associated membrane potential changes have been studied intensively over the last century. These studies, with various species and cell types, revealed that apart from regulation by chloroplasts, plasma membrane transport can be controlled by phytochromes, phototropins or channel rhodopsins. In this review, we compare light-dependent plasma membrane responses of unicellular algae (Eremosphaera and Chlamydomonas), with those of a multicellular alga (Chara), liverworts (Conocephalum), mosses (Physcomitrella) and several angiosperm cell types. Light-dependent plasma membrane responses of Eremosphaera and Chara are characterised by the dominant role of K(+) channels during membrane potential changes. In most other species, the Ca(2+)-dependent activation of plasma membrane anion channels represents a general light-triggered event. Cell type-specific responses are likely to have evolved by modification of this general response or through the development of additional light-dependent signalling pathways. Future research to elucidate these light-activated signalling chains is likely to benefit from the recent identification of S-type anion channel genes and proteins capable of regulating these channels.

Contribution to the modelling and multi-scale numerical simulation of kinetic electron transport in hot plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mallet, J.

2012-01-01

This research thesis stands at the crossroad of plasma physics, numerical analysis and applied mathematics. After an introduction presenting the problematic and previous works, the author recalls some basis of classical kinetic models for plasma physics (collisionless kinetic theory and Vlasov equation, collisional kinetic theory with the non-relativistic Maxwell-Fokker-Plansk system) and describes the fundamental properties of the collision operators such as conservation laws, entropy dissipation, and so on. He reports the improvement of a deterministic numerical method to solve the non-relativistic Vlasov-Maxwell system coupled with Fokker-Planck-Landau type operators. The efficiency of each high order scheme is compared. The evolution of the hot spot is studied in the case of thermonuclear reactions in the centre of the pellet in a weakly collisional regime. The author focuses on the simulation of the kinetic electron collisional transport in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) between the laser absorption zone and the ablation front. A new approach is then introduced to reduce the huge computation time obtained with kinetic models. In a last chapter, the kinetic continuous equation in spherical domain is described and a new model is chosen for collisions in order to preserve collision properties

Tokamak plasma transport simulation in the presence of neoclassical tearing modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Y.; Yamazaki, K.; Arimoto, H.; Shoji, T.; Garcia, J.

2008-01-01

For the prediction of the ITER plasmas, the effect of the neoclassical tearing mode (NTM) on the plasma confinement has been calculated using the 1.5-dimensional equilibrium and transport simulation code TOTAL. The time evolution of the NTM magnetic island has been analyzed using the modified Rutherford equation for a ITER normal shear plasma. The anomalous transport model used here is GLF23. The saturated magnetic island widths are w/a - 0.048 at 3/2 mode and w/a - 0.21 at 2/1 mode, and the reduction in fusion power output by NTM is 27% at the 3/2 mode, 82% at the 2/1 mode, and 89% at the 3/2 + 2/1 double mode. The stabilization effect of the electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) with EC is also clarified. The threshold of ECCD power for the full stabilization is ∼10[MW] against the 3/2 mode, and ∼23[MW] against the 2/1 mode. (author)

Impurity transport in a collision-dominated rotating tokamak plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eriksson, G.; Liljegren, A.

1981-04-01

The flux of heavy impurities is an axisymmetric, toroidal plasma with all particles in the collision-dominated regime is considered. Plasma rotation and charge-exchange with neutrals are taken into account. A hydrodynamic model employing Braginskii's transport equations is used. The theorry is extended to higher collision freqencies as compared to previous treatments. It is found that the Pfirsch-Schlueter flux is significantly reduced as compared to the value given by Rutherford and that it is of the same order of magnitude, or less, than the classical flux in all regimes considered. It is also shown that the impurity flux can be influenced by charge-exchange with neutrals. (author)

Three-dimensional self-consistent radiation transport model for the fluid simulation of plasma display panel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, H.C.; Yang, S.S.; Lee, J.K.

2003-01-01

In plasma display panels (PDPs), the resonance radiation trapping is one of the important processes. In order to incorporate this effect in a PDP cell, a three-dimensional radiation transport model is self-consistently coupled with a fluid simulation. This model is compared with the conventional trapping factor method in gas mixtures of neon and xenon. It shows the differences in the time evolutions of spatial profile and the total number of resonant excited states, especially in the afterglow. The generation rates of UV light are also compared for the two methods. The visible photon flux reaching the output window from the phosphor layers as well as the total UV photon flux arriving at the phosphor layer from the plasma region are calculated for resonant and nonresonant excited species. From these calculations, the time-averaged spatial profiles of the UV flux on the phosphor layers and the visible photon flux through the output window are obtained. Finally, the diagram of the energy efficiency and the contribution of each UV light are shown

Pellet injection into H-mode ITER plasma with the presence of internal transport barriers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leekhaphan, P. [Thammasat University, School of Bio-Chemical Engineering and Technology, Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology (Thailand); Onjun, T. [Thammasat University, School of Manufacturing Systems and Mechanical Engineering, Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology (Thailand)

2011-04-15

The impacts of pellet injection into ITER type-1 ELMy H-mode plasma with the presence of internal transport barriers (ITBs) are investigated using self-consistent core-edge simulations of 1.5D BALDUR integrated predictive modeling code. In these simulations, the plasma core transport is predicted using a combination of a semi-empirical Mixed B/gB anomalous transport model, which can self-consistently predict the formation of ITBs, and the NCLASS neoclassical model. For simplicity, it is assumed that toroidal velocity for {omega}{sub E Multiplication-Sign B} calculation is proportional to local ion temperature. In addition, the boundary conditions are predicted using the pedestal temperature model based on magnetic and flow shear stabilization width scaling; while the density of each plasma species, including both hydrogenic and impurity species, at the boundary are assumed to be a large fraction of its line averaged density. For the pellet's behaviors in the hot plasma, the Neutral Gas Shielding (NGS) model by Milora-Foster is used. It was found that the injection of pellet could result in further improvement of fusion performance from that of the formation of ITB. However, the impact of pellet injection is quite complicated. It is also found that the pellets cannot penetrate into a deep core of the plasma. The injection of the pellet results in a formation of density peak in the region close to the plasma edge. The injection of pellet can result in an improved nuclear fusion performance depending on the properties of pellet (i.e., increase up to 5% with a speed of 1 km/s and radius of 2 mm). A sensitivity analysis is carried out to determine the impact of pellet parameters, which are: the pellet radius, the pellet velocity, and the frequency of injection. The increase in the pellet radius and frequency were found to greatly improve the performance and effectiveness of fuelling. However, changing the velocity is observed to exert small impact.

Pellet injection into H-mode ITER plasma with the presence of internal transport barriers

Science.gov (United States)

Leekhaphan, P.; Onjun, T.

2011-04-01

The impacts of pellet injection into ITER type-1 ELMy H-mode plasma with the presence of internal transport barriers (ITBs) are investigated using self-consistent core-edge simulations of 1.5D BALDUR integrated predictive modeling code. In these simulations, the plasma core transport is predicted using a combination of a semi-empirical Mixed B/gB anomalous transport model, which can self-consistently predict the formation of ITBs, and the NCLASS neoclassical model. For simplicity, it is assumed that toroidal velocity for ω E× B calculation is proportional to local ion temperature. In addition, the boundary conditions are predicted using the pedestal temperature model based on magnetic and flow shear stabilization width scaling; while the density of each plasma species, including both hydrogenic and impurity species, at the boundary are assumed to be a large fraction of its line averaged density. For the pellet's behaviors in the hot plasma, the Neutral Gas Shielding (NGS) model by Milora-Foster is used. It was found that the injection of pellet could result in further improvement of fusion performance from that of the formation of ITB. However, the impact of pellet injection is quite complicated. It is also found that the pellets cannot penetrate into a deep core of the plasma. The injection of the pellet results in a formation of density peak in the region close to the plasma edge. The injection of pellet can result in an improved nuclear fusion performance depending on the properties of pellet (i.e., increase up to 5% with a speed of 1 km/s and radius of 2 mm). A sensitivity analysis is carried out to determine the impact of pellet parameters, which are: the pellet radius, the pellet velocity, and the frequency of injection. The increase in the pellet radius and frequency were found to greatly improve the performance and effectiveness of fuelling. However, changing the velocity is observed to exert small impact.

Comprehensive physical models and simulation package for plasma/material interactions during plasma instabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassanein, A.; Konkashbaev, I.

1999-01-01

Damage to plasma-facing components (PFCs) from plasma instabilities remains a major obstacle to a successful tokamak concept. The extent of the damage depends on the detailed physics of the disrupting plasma, as well as on the physics of plasma-material interactions. A comprehensive computer package called high energy interaction with general heterogeneous target systems (HEIGHTS) has been developed and consists of several integrated computer models that follow the beginning of a plasma disruption at the scrape-off layer (SOL) through the transport of the eroded debris and splashed target materials to nearby locations as a result of the deposited energy. The package can study, for the first time, plasma-turbulent behavior in the SOL and predict the plasma parameters and conditions at the divertor plate. Full two-dimensional (2-D) comprehensive radiation magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models are coupled with target thermodynamics and liquid hydrodynamics to evaluate the integrated response of plasma-facing materials. Factors that influence the lifetime of plasma-facing and nearby components, such as loss of vapor cloud confinement and vapor removal due to MHD effects, damage to nearby components due to intense vapor radiation, melt splashing, and brittle destruction of target materials, are also modeled and discussed. (orig.)

Comprehensive physical models and simulation package for plasma/material interactions during plasma instabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassanein, A.

1998-01-01

Damage to plasma-facing components (PFCS) from plasma instabilities remains a major obstacle to a successful tokamak concept. The extent of the damage depends on the detailed physics of the disrupting plasma, as well as on the physics of plasma-material interactions. A comprehensive computer package called High Energy Interaction with General Heterogeneous Target Systems (HEIGHTS) has been developed and consists of several integrated computer models that follow the beginning of a plasma disruption at the scrape-off layer (SOL) through the transport of the eroded debris and splashed target materials to nearby locations as a result of the deposited energy. The package can study, for the first time, plasma-turbulent behavior in the SOL and predict the plasma parameters and conditions at the divertor plate. Full two-dimensional (2-D) comprehensive radiation magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models are coupled with target thermodynamics and liquid hydrodynamics to evaluate the integrated response of plasma-facing materials. Factors that influence the lifetime of plasma-facing and nearby components, such as loss of vapor-cloud confinement and vapor removal due to MHD effects, damage to nearby components due to intense vapor radiation, melt splashing, and brittle destruction of target materials, are also modeled and discussed

Vaporized wall material/plasma interaction during plasma disruption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merrill, B.J.; Carroll, M.C.; Jardin, S.C.

1983-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to discuss a new plasma disruption model that has been developed for analyzing the consequences to the limiter/first wall structures. This model accounts for: nonequilibrium surface vaporization for the ablating structure, nonequilibrium ionization of and radiation emitted from the ablated material in the plasma, plasma particle and energy transport, and plasma electromagnetic field evolution during the disruption event. Calculations were performed for a 5 ms disruption on a stainless steel flat limiter as part of a D-shaped first wall. These results indicated that the effectiveness of the ablated wall material to shield the exposed structure is greater than predicted by earlier models, and that the rate of redeposition of the ablated wall material ions is very dramatic. Impurity transport along magnetic field lines, global plasma motion, and radiation transport in an optically thick plasma are important factors that require additional modeling. Experimental measurements are needed to verify these models

The effect of pre-plasma formation under nonlocal transport conditions for ultra-relativistic laser-plasma interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Holec, M.; Nikl, J.; Vranic, M.; Weber, S.

2018-04-01

Interaction of high-power lasers with solid targets is in general strongly affected by the limited contrast available. The laser pre-pulse ionizes the target and produces a pre-plasma which can strongly modify the interaction of the main part of the laser pulse with the target. This is of particular importance for future experiments which will use laser intensities above 1021 W cm-2 and which are subject to the limited contrast. As a consequence the main part of the laser pulse will be modified while traversing the pre-plasma, interacting with it partially. A further complication arises from the fact that the interaction of a high-power pre-pulse with solid targets very often takes place under nonlocal transport conditions, i.e. the characteristic mean-free-path of the particles and photons is larger than the characteristic scale-lengths of density and temperature. The classical diffusion treatment of radiation and heat transport in the hydrodynamic model is then insufficient for the description of the pre-pulse physics. These phenomena also strongly modify the formation of the pre-plasma which in turn affects the propagation of the main laser pulse. In this paper nonlocal radiation-hydrodynamic simulations are carried out and serve as input for subsequent kinetic simulations of ultra-high intensity laser pulses interacting with the plasma in the ultra-relativistic regime. It is shown that the results of the kinetic simulations differ considerably whether a diffusive or nonlocal transport is used for the radiation-hydrodynamic simulations.

Transport of a nonneutral electron plasma due to electron collisions with neutral atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Douglas, M.H.; O'Neil, T.M.

1978-01-01

Transport of a nonneutral electron plasma across a magnetic field is caused by electron scattering from ambient neutral atoms. A theoretical model of such transport is presented, assuming the plasma is quiescent and the scattering is elastic scattering from infinite mass scattering centers of constant momentum transfer cross section. This model is motivated by recent experiments. A reduced transport equation is obtained by expanding the Boltzmann equation for the electron distribution in inverse powers of the magnetic field. The equation together with Poisson's equation for the radial electric field, which must exist in a nonneutral column, determine the evolution of the system. When these two equations are properly scaled, they contain only a single parameter: the ratio of initial Debye length to initial column radius. For cases where this parameter is either large or small, analytical solutions, or at least partial solutions, are obtained. For intermediate values of the parameter, numerical solutions are obtained

Transport processes in multicomponent plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zissis, G.

2002-01-01

Full text: This book treats in detail, as indicated in the title, the transport phenomena in multicomponent plasmas. Here, the term 'transport' applies to the study of mass and energy transfer in plasmas due to the interactions between pairs of particles only. Radiation is legitimately omitted; anyway, radiative transfer is another field of study. As the author himself mentions in the introduction, 'the term multicomponent plasma implies a partially or fully ionized mixture of arbitrary number of species of neutral and charged particles satisfying the condition of quasi-neutrality'. In fact, this book treats a large variety of plasmas applying to different systems ranging from low-pressure systems which may be far from local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) conditions, to thermal plasmas in LTE or near-LTE states with special attention to two-temperature systems; partially ionized plasmas with low ionization degree for which electron-neutral interactions are predominant, to systems with higher ionization degrees in which charged particle interactions are no more negligible. In addition, for all the above stated situations, the author treats both plasmas which are subjected to an external electromagnetic field and those which are not (homogeneous and inhomogeneous cases). Furthermore, in the last chapters a special discussion concerning molecular plasmas is presented. Taking into account the evolution of plasma modelling in the last few years, the subject is of current interest and the reader will find in the book a large amount of information necessary for a good understanding of transport phenomena in plasmas: for a plasma simulation specialist, this book may be regarded as reference text, which includes all necessary mathematical relations for his work. However, it should not be considered a simple formulary; the reader will also find here an excellent description of the theoretical basis necessary for the derivation of all given expressions. To this point of view

Observation of neoclassical transport in reverse shear plasmas on TFTR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Efthimion, P.C.; Goeler, S. von; Houlberg, W.A.

1999-01-01

Perturbative experiments on TFTR have investigated the transport of multiple ion species in reverse shear (RS) plasmas. The profile evolutions of trace tritium and helium and intrinsic carbon indicate the formation of core particle transport barriers in enhanced reverse shear (ERS) plasmas. There is an order of magnitude reduction in the particle diffusivity inside the RS region. The diffusivities for these species in ERS plasmas agree with neoclassical theory. (author)

An entropic approach to magnetized nonlocal transport and other kinetic phenomena in high-energy-density plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Del-Sorbo, Dario

2015-01-01

Hydrodynamic simulations in high-energy-density physics and inertial confinement fusion require a detailed description of energy fluxes. The leading mechanism is the electron transport, which can be a nonlocal phenomenon that needs to be described with quasistationary and simplified Fokker-Planck models in large scale hydrodynamic codes. My thesis is dedicated to the development of a new nonlocal transport model based on a fast-moving-particles collision operator and on a first moment Fokker-Planck equation, simplified with an entropic closure relation. Such a closure enables a better description of the electron distribution function in the limit of high anisotropies, where small scale electrostatic instabilities could be excited. This new model, so called M1, is successfully compared with the well known nonlocal electron transport model proposed by Schurtz, Nicolai and Busquet, using different collision operators, and with the reduced Fokker-Planck model, based on a small-anisotropies polynomial closure relation (P1). Several typical configurations of heat transport are considered. We show that the M1 entropic model may operate in two and three dimensions and is able to account for electron transport modifications in external magnetic fields. Moreover, our model enables to compute realistic electron distribution functions, which can be used for kinetic studies, as for the plasma stability in the transport zone. It is demonstrated that the electron energy transport may strongly modify damping of Langmuir and ion acoustic waves, while the simplified nonlocal transport models are not able to describe accurately the modifications of the distribution function and plasma wave damping. The structure of the M1 model allows to naturally take into account self-generated magnetic fields, which play a crucial role in multidimensional simulations. Moreover, magnetic fields could also be used for the focusing of energetic particles in alternative ignition schemes. The M1 model

Application of diffusion theory to neutral atom transport in fusion plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasan, M.Z.; Conn, R.W.; Pomraning, G.C.

1986-05-01

It is found that energy dependent diffusion theory provides excellent accuracy in the modelling of transport of neutral atoms in fusion plasmas. Two reasons in particular explain the good accuracy. First, while the plasma is optically thick for low energy neutrals, it is optically thin for high energy neutrals and diffusion theory with Marshak boundary conditions gives accurate results for an optically thin medium even for small values of 'c', the ratio of the scattering to the total cross section. Second, the effective value of 'c' at low energy becomes very close to one due to the down-scattering via collisions of high energy neutrals. The first reason is proven both computationally and theoretically by solving the transport equation in a power series in 'c' and the diffusion equation with 'general' Marshak boundary conditions. The second reason is established numerically by comparing the results from a one-dimensional, general geometry, multigroup diffusion theory code, written for this purpose, with the results obtained using the transport code ANISN

Divertor plasma studies on DIII-D: Experiment and modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

West, W.P.; Brooks, N.H.; Allen, S.L.

1996-09-01

In a magnetically diverted tokamak, the scrape-off layer (SOL) and divertor plasma provides separation between the first wall and the core plasma, intercepting impurities generated at the wall before they reach the core plasma. The divertor plasma can also serve to spread the heat and particle flux over a large area of divertor structure wall using impurity radiation and neutral charge exchange, thus reducing peak heat and particle fluxes at the divertor strike plate. Such a reduction will be required in the next generation of tokamaks, for without it, the divertor engineering requirements are very demanding. To successfully demonstrate a radiative divertor, a highly radiative condition with significant volume recombination must be achieved in the divertor, while maintaining a low impurity content in the core plasma. Divertor plasma properties are determined by a complex interaction of classical parallel transport, anomalous perpendicular transport, impurity transport and radiation, and plasma wall interaction. In this paper the authors describe a set of experiments on DIII-D designed to provide detailed two dimensional documentation of the divertor and SOL plasma. Measurements have been made in operating modes where the plasma is attached to the divertor strike plate and in highly radiating cases where the plasma is detached from the divertor strike plate. They also discuss the results of experiments designed to influence the distribution of impurities in the plasma using enhanced SOL plasma flow. Extensive modeling efforts will be described which are successfully reproducing attached plasma conditions and are helping to elucidate the important plasma and atomic physics involved in the detachment process

Practical aspects of a 2-D edge-plasma model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rensink, M.E.; Hill, D.N.; Porter, G.D.; Braams, B.J.; Princeton Univ., NJ

1989-07-01

The poloidal divertor configuration is considered the most promising solution to the particle and energy exhaust problem for a tokamak reactor. The scrape-off layer plasma surrounding the core and the high-recycling plasma near the divertor plates can be modelled by fluid equations for particle, momentum and energy transport. A numerical code (B2) based on a two-dimensional multi-fluid model has been developed for the study of edge plasmas in tokamaks. In this report we identify some key features of this model as applied to the DIII-D tokamak. 2 refs., 1 fig

Downstream plasma transport and metal ionization in a high-powered pulsed-plasma magnetron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng, Liang; Szott, Matthew M.; McLain, Jake T.; Ruzic, David N.; Yu, He

2014-01-01

Downstream plasma transport and ionization processes in a high-powered pulsed-plasma magnetron were studied. The temporal evolution and spatial distribution of electron density (n e ) and temperature (T e ) were characterized with a 3D scanning triple Langmuir probe. Plasma expanded from the racetrack region into the downstream region, where a high n e peak was formed some time into the pulse-off period. The expansion speed and directionality towards the substrate increased with a stronger magnetic field (B), largely as a consequence of a larger potential drop in the bulk plasma region during a relatively slower sheath formation. The fraction of Cu ions in the deposition flux was measured on the substrate using a gridded energy analyzer. It increased with higher pulse voltage. With increased B field from 200 to 800 Gauss above racetrack, n e increased but the Cu ion fraction decreased from 42% to 16%. A comprehensive model was built, including the diffusion of as-sputtered Cu flux, the Cu ionization in the entire plasma region using the mapped n e and T e data, and ion extraction efficiency based on the measured plasma potential (V p ) distribution. The calculations matched the measurements and indicated the main causes of lower Cu ion fractions in stronger B fields to be the lower T e and inefficient ion extraction in a larger pre-sheath potential.

Comparison of low confinement mode transport simulations using the mixed Bohm/gyro-Bohm and the Multi-Mode-95 transport model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onjun, Thawatchai; Bateman, Glenn; Kritz, Arnold H.; Hannum, David

2001-01-01

Predictive transport simulations using the mixed Bohm/gyro-Bohm (JET) transport model [M. Erba , Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 39, 261 (1997)] are compared with simulations using the Multi-Mode-95 (MMM95) transport model [G. Bateman , Phys. Plasmas 5, 1793 (1998)]. Temperature and density profiles from these simulations are compared with experimental data for 13 low confinement mode (L-mode) discharges from the Doublet III-D Tokamak (DIII-D) [J. L. Luxon and L. G. Davis, Fusion Technol. 8, 441 (1985)] and the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) [D. Grove and D. M. Meade, Nucl. Fusion 25, 1167 (1985)]. The selected discharges include systematic scans over gyro-radius, plasma power, current, and density. It is found that simulations using the two models match experimental data equally well, in spite of the fact that the JET model has predominantly Bohm scaling (proportional to gyro-radius) while the MMM95 model has a purely gyro-Bohm scaling (proportional to gyro-radius squared)

Integration of computational modeling with membrane transport studies reveals new insights into amino acid exchange transport mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Widdows, Kate L.; Panitchob, Nuttanont; Crocker, Ian P.; Please, Colin P.; Hanson, Mark A.; Sibley, Colin P.; Johnstone, Edward D.; Sengers, Bram G.; Lewis, Rohan M.; Glazier, Jocelyn D.

2015-01-01

Uptake of system L amino acid substrates into isolated placental plasma membrane vesicles in the absence of opposing side amino acid (zero-trans uptake) is incompatible with the concept of obligatory exchange, where influx of amino acid is coupled to efflux. We therefore hypothesized that system L amino acid exchange transporters are not fully obligatory and/or that amino acids are initially present inside the vesicles. To address this, we combined computational modeling with vesicle transport assays and transporter localization studies to investigate the mechanisms mediating [14C]l-serine (a system L substrate) transport into human placental microvillous plasma membrane (MVM) vesicles. The carrier model provided a quantitative framework to test the 2 hypotheses that l-serine transport occurs by either obligate exchange or nonobligate exchange coupled with facilitated transport (mixed transport model). The computational model could only account for experimental [14C]l-serine uptake data when the transporter was not exclusively in exchange mode, best described by the mixed transport model. MVM vesicle isolates contained endogenous amino acids allowing for potential contribution to zero-trans uptake. Both L-type amino acid transporter (LAT)1 and LAT2 subtypes of system L were distributed to MVM, with l-serine transport attributed to LAT2. These findings suggest that exchange transporters do not function exclusively as obligate exchangers.—Widdows, K. L., Panitchob, N., Crocker, I. P., Please, C. P., Hanson, M. A., Sibley, C. P., Johnstone, E. D., Sengers, B. G., Lewis, R. M., Glazier, J. D. Integration of computational modeling with membrane transport studies reveals new insights into amino acid exchange transport mechanisms. PMID:25761365

A statistical approach for predicting thermal diffusivity profiles in fusion plasmas as a transport model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yokoyama, Masayuki

2014-01-01

A statistical approach is proposed to predict thermal diffusivity profiles as a transport “model” in fusion plasmas. It can provide regression expressions for the ion and electron heat diffusivities (χ i and χ e ), separately, to construct their radial profiles. An approach that this letter is proposing outstrips the conventional scaling laws for the global confinement time (τ E ) since it also deals with profiles (temperature, density, heating depositions etc.). This approach has become possible with the analysis database accumulated by the extensive application of the integrated transport analysis suite to experiment data. In this letter, TASK3D-a analysis database for high-ion-temperature (high-T i ) plasmas in the LHD (Large Helical Device) is used as an example to describe an approach. (author)

Relationship between particle and heat transport in JT-60U plasmas with internal transport barrier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takenaga, H.

2002-01-01

Relationship between particle and heat transport in an internal transport barrier (ITB) has been systematically investigated for the first time in reversed shear (RS) and high-β p ELMy H-mode (weak positive shear) plasmas of JT-60U for understanding of compatibility of improved energy confinement and effective particle control such as exhaust of helium ash and reduction in impurity contamination. In the RS plasma, no helium and carbon accumulation inside the ITB is observed even with highly improved energy confinement. In the high-β p plasma, both helium and carbon density profiles are flat. As the ion temperature profile changes from parabolic- to box-type, the helium diffusivity decreases by a factor of about 2 as well as the ion thermal diffusivity in the RS plasma. The measured soft X-ray profile is more peaked than that calculated by assuming the same n AR profile as the n e profile in the Ar injected RS plasma with the box-type profile, suggesting accumulation of Ar inside the ITB. Particle transport is improved with no change of ion temperature in the RS plasma, when density fluctuation is drastically reduced by a pellet injection. (author)

Transport and confinement in the Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak (MAST) plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akers, R J; Ahn, J W; Appel, L C; Brickley, C; Bunting, C; Carolan, P G; Challis, C D; Conway, N J; Counsell, G F; Dendy, R O; Dudson, B; Field, A R; Kirk, A; Lloyd, B; Meyer, H F; Morris, A W; Patel, A; Roach, C M; Sykes, A; Taylor, D; Tournianski, M R; Valovic, M; Wilson, H R; Axon, K B; Buttery, R J; Ciric, D; Cunningham, G; Dowling J; Dunstan, M R; Gee, S J; Gryaznevich, M P; Helander, P; Keeling, D L; Knight, P J; Lott, F; Loughlin, M J; Manhood, S J; Martin, R; McArdle, G J; Price, M N; Stammers, K; Storrs, J [EURATOM/UKAEA Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom); Antar, G Y [Fusion Energy Research Program, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093-0417 (United States); Applegate, D [Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London, London SW7 2BZ (United Kingdom); Rohzansky, V [St. Petersburg State Politechnical University, Polytechnicheskaya 29, 195251 St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Walsh, M J [Walsh Scientific Ltd., Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3EB (United Kingdom)

2003-12-01

techniques developed at conventional aspect ratio. Electron and ion energy diffusivities are reduced towards the ion-neoclassical level in the ITB region of both co- and counter-injection NBI heated plasmas, with momentum diffusivity up to 10 times lower. Moving out to the edge and SOL, OSM2/EIRENE modelling is being used to extract edge perpendicular particle and heat diffusivities, results being consistent with the ballooning nature of power-flow seen in L-mode and reduction in outboard turbulence seen in ELM-free and inter-ELM H-mode. Modelling of parallel SOL transport requires the inclusion of the mirror force (approx. 10 times higher in MAST than at the conventional aspect ratio) and B2SOLPS5.0 simulations show the edge electric field to be well modelled by neoclassical theory. Transient edge transport phenomena are being studied in detail using a variety of techniques (e.g. probability density function (PDF) and power spectrum analysis, differencing and rescaling methods). Intermittent transport is associated with a radial efflux at up to a tenth of the sound speed and up to 30 cm from the separatrix. Arguably, the most dramatic edge events seen in the plasma periphery are the ELMs. Recent results using fast, high-resolution visible imaging confirm the hypothesis that ELMs have both poloidal and toroidal structures (n approx. 10 at q = 4), consistent with recent theories of the non-linear evolution of ballooning modes.

Transport and confinement in the Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak (MAST) plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akers, R J; Ahn, J W; Antar, G Y; Appel, L C; Applegate, D; Brickley, C; Bunting, C; Carolan, P G; Challis, C D; Conway, N J; Counsell, G F; Dendy, R O; Dudson, B; Field, A R; Kirk, A; Lloyd, B; Meyer, H F; Morris, A W; Patel, A; Roach, C M; Rohzansky, V; Sykes, A; Taylor, D; Tournianski, M R; Valovic, M; Wilson, H R; Axon, K B; Buttery, R J; Ciric, D; Cunningham, G; Dowling, J; Dunstan, M R; Gee, S J; Gryaznevich, M P; Helander, P; Keeling, D L; Knight, P J; Lott, F; Loughlin, M J; Manhood, S J; Martin, R; McArdle, G J; Price, M N; Stammers, K; Storrs, J; Walsh, M J

2003-01-01

ratio. Electron and ion energy diffusivities are reduced towards the ion-neoclassical level in the ITB region of both co- and counter-injection NBI heated plasmas, with momentum diffusivity up to 10 times lower. Moving out to the edge and SOL, OSM2/EIRENE modelling is being used to extract edge perpendicular particle and heat diffusivities, results being consistent with the ballooning nature of power-flow seen in L-mode and reduction in outboard turbulence seen in ELM-free and inter-ELM H-mode. Modelling of parallel SOL transport requires the inclusion of the mirror force (approx. 10 times higher in MAST than at the conventional aspect ratio) and B2SOLPS5.0 simulations show the edge electric field to be well modelled by neoclassical theory. Transient edge transport phenomena are being studied in detail using a variety of techniques (e.g. probability density function (PDF) and power spectrum analysis, differencing and rescaling methods). Intermittent transport is associated with a radial efflux at up to a tenth of the sound speed and up to 30 cm from the separatrix. Arguably, the most dramatic edge events seen in the plasma periphery are the ELMs. Recent results using fast, high-resolution visible imaging confirm the hypothesis that ELMs have both poloidal and toroidal structures (n approx. 10 at q = 4), consistent with recent theories of the non-linear evolution of ballooning modes

Transport processes in plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balescu, R.

1988-01-01

This part is devoted to the classical transport theory in plasmas. Ch. 1 is a chapter of 'pure' hamiltonian mechanics and starts with the study of the motion of an individual charged particle in the presence of an electromagnetic field. Ch. 2 introduces the tools of statistical mechanics for the study of large collections of charged particles. A kinetic theory is derived as a basic tool for transport theory. In ch. 3 the hydro-dynamic - or plasmadynamic - balance equations are derived. The macroscopic dynamical equations have the structure of an infinite hierarchy. This introduces the necessity of construction of a transport theory, by which te infinite set of equations can be reduced to a finite, closed set. This can only be done by a detailed analysis of the kinetic equation under well defined conditions. The tools for such nan analysis are developed in ch. 4. In ch. 5 the transport equations, relating the unknown fluxes of matter, momentum, energy and electricity to the hydrodynamic variables, are derived and discussed. In ch. 6 the results are incorporated into the wider framework of non-equilibrium thermodynamics by connecting the transport processes to the central concept of entropy production. In ch. 7 the results of transport theory are put back into the equations of plasmadynamics

Rotation and transport in Alcator C-Mod ITB plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Fiore, C. L.; Rice, J. E.; Podpaly, Y.; Bespamyatnov, I. O.; Rowan, W. L.; Hughes, J. W.; Reinke, M.

2010-06-01

Internal transport barriers (ITBs) are seen under a number of conditions in Alcator C-Mod plasmas. Most typically, radio frequency power in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRFs) is injected with the second harmonic of the resonant frequency for minority hydrogen ions positioned off-axis at r/a > 0.5 to initiate the ITBs. They can also arise spontaneously in ohmic H-mode plasmas. These ITBs typically persist tens of energy confinement times until the plasma terminates in radiative collapse or a disruption occurs. All C-Mod core barriers exhibit strongly peaked density and pressure profiles, static or peaking temperature profiles, peaking impurity density profiles and thermal transport coefficients that approach neoclassical values in the core. The strongly co-current intrinsic central plasma rotation that is observed following the H-mode transition has a profile that is peaked in the centre of the plasma and decreases towards the edge if the ICRF power deposition is in the plasma centre. When the ICRF resonance is placed off-axis, the rotation develops a well in the core region. The central rotation continues to decrease as long as the central density peaks when an ITB develops. This rotation profile is flat in the centre (0 ITB density profile is observed (0.5 ITB foot that is sufficiently large to stabilize ion temperature gradient instabilities that dominate transport in C-Mod high density plasmas.

Turbulence induced radial transport of toroidal momentum in boundary plasma of EAST tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, N.; Yan, N.; Xu, G. S.; Wang, H. Q.; Wang, L.; Ding, S. Y.; Chen, R.; Chen, L.; Zhang, W.; Hu, G. H.; Shao, L. M.; Wang, Z. X.

2016-01-01

Turbulence induced toroidal momentum transport in boundary plasma is investigated in H-mode discharge using Langmuir-Mach probes on EAST. The Reynolds stress is found to drive an inward toroidal momentum transport, while the outflow of particles convects the toroidal momentum outwards in the edge plasma. The Reynolds stress driven momentum transport dominates over the passive momentum transport carried by particle flux, which potentially provides a momentum source for the edge plasma. The outflow of particles delivers a momentum flux into the scrape-off layer (SOL) region, contributing as a momentum source for the SOL flows. At the L-H transitions, the outward momentum transport suddenly decreases due to the suppression of edge turbulence and associated particle transport. The SOL flows start to decelerate as plasma entering into H-mode. The contributions from turbulent Reynolds stress and particle transport for the toroidal momentum transport are identified. These results shed lights on the understanding of edge plasma accelerating at L-H transitions.

Parallel Transport and Profile of Boundary Plasma with a Low Recycling Wall

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tang, X.; Guo, Z., E-mail: xtang@lanl.gov [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos (United States)

2012-09-15

Full text: Reduction of wall recycling by, for example, a flowing liquid surface at the divertor and first wall, holds the promise of accessing the distinct tokamak reactor operational mode with boundary plasmas of high temperature and low density. Earlier work has indicated that such a boundary plasma would reduce the temperature gradient across the entire plasma and hence remove the primary micro-instability drive responsibly for anomalous particle and energy transport. Here we present a systematic study solving the kinetic equations both analytically and numerically, with and without Coulomb collision. The distinct roles of magnetic field strength modulation and the ambipolar electric field on the electron and ion distribution functions are clarified. The resulting behavior on plasma profile and parallel heat flux, which are often surprising and counter the expectations from the collisional fluid models, on which previous work were based, are explained both intuitively and with a contrast between analytical calculation and numerical simulations. The transport-induced plasma instabilities, and their essential role in maintaining ambipolarity, are clarified, along with the subtle effect of Coulomb collision on electron temperature and wall potential as small but finite collisionality is taken into account. (author)

Study of heat and synchrotron radiation transport in fusion tokamak plasmas. Application to the modelling of steady state and fast burn termination scenarios for the international experimental fusion reactor ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Villar Colome, J.

1997-12-01

The aim of this thesis is to give a global scope of the problem of energy transport within a thermonuclear plasma in the context of its power balance and the implications when modelling ITER operating scenarios. This is made in two phases. First, by furnishing new elements to the existing models of heat and synchrotron radiation transport in a thermonuclear plasma. Second, by applying the improved models to plasma engineering studies of ITER operating scenarios. The scenarios modelled are the steady state operating point and the transient that appears to have the biggest technological implications: the fast burn termination. The conduction-convection losses are modelled through the energy confinement time. This parameter is empirically obtained from the existing experimental data, since the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In chapter 2 an expression for the energy confinement time is semi-analytically deduced from the Rebut-Lallia-Watkins local transport model. The current estimates of the synchrotron radiation losses are made with expressions of the dimensionless transparency factor deduced from a 0-dimensional cylindrical model proposed by Trubnikov in 1979. In chapter 3 realistic hypothesis for the cases of cylindrical and toroidal geometry are included in the model to deduce compact explicit expressions for the fast numerical computation of the synchrotron radiation losses. Numerical applications are provided for the cylindrical case. The results are checked against the existing models. In chapter 4, the nominal operating point of ITER and its thermal stability is studied by means of a 0-dimensional burn model of the thermonuclear plasma in ignition. This model is deduced by the elements furnished by the plasma particle and power balance. Possible heat overloading on the plasma facing components may provoke severe structural damage, implying potential safety problems related to tritium inventory and metal activation. In chapter 5, the assessment

Study of heat and synchrotron radiation transport in fusion tokamak plasmas. Application to the modelling of steady state and fast burn termination scenarios for the international experimental fusion reactor ITER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Villar Colome, J. [Association Euratom-CEA, Centre d`Etudes de Cadarache, 13 - Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France). Dept. de Recherches sur la Fusion Controlee]|[Universitat Polytechnica de Catalunya (Spain)

1997-12-01

The aim of this thesis is to give a global scope of the problem of energy transport within a thermonuclear plasma in the context of its power balance and the implications when modelling ITER operating scenarios. This is made in two phases. First, by furnishing new elements to the existing models of heat and synchrotron radiation transport in a thermonuclear plasma. Second, by applying the improved models to plasma engineering studies of ITER operating scenarios. The scenarios modelled are the steady state operating point and the transient that appears to have the biggest technological implications: the fast burn termination. The conduction-convection losses are modelled through the energy confinement time. This parameter is empirically obtained from the existing experimental data, since the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In chapter 2 an expression for the energy confinement time is semi-analytically deduced from the Rebut-Lallia-Watkins local transport model. The current estimates of the synchrotron radiation losses are made with expressions of the dimensionless transparency factor deduced from a 0-dimensional cylindrical model proposed by Trubnikov in 1979. In chapter 3 realistic hypothesis for the cases of cylindrical and toroidal geometry are included in the model to deduce compact explicit expressions for the fast numerical computation of the synchrotron radiation losses. Numerical applications are provided for the cylindrical case. The results are checked against the existing models. In chapter 4, the nominal operating point of ITER and its thermal stability is studied by means of a 0-dimensional burn model of the thermonuclear plasma in ignition. This model is deduced by the elements furnished by the plasma particle and power balance. Possible heat overloading on the plasma facing components may provoke severe structural damage, implying potential safety problems related to tritium inventory and metal activation. In chapter 5, the assessment

Predictions of the near edge transport shortfall in DIII-D L-mode plasmas using the trapped gyro-Landau-fluid model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kinsey, J. E. [CompX, P.O. Box 2672, Del Mar, California 92014 (United States); Staebler, G. M.; Candy, J.; Petty, C. C.; Waltz, R. E. [General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608 (United States); Rhodes, T. L. [Physics Department and PSTI, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095 (United States)

2015-01-15

Previous studies of DIII-D L-mode plasmas have shown that a transport shortfall exists in that our current models of turbulent transport can significantly underestimate the energy transport in the near edge region. In this paper, the Trapped Gyro-Landau-Fluid (TGLF) drift wave transport model is used to simulate the near edge transport in a DIII-D L-mode experiment designed to explore the impact of varying the safety factor on the shortfall. We find that the shortfall systematically increases with increasing safety factor and is more pronounced for the electrons than for the ions. Within the shortfall dataset, a single high current case has been found where no transport shortfall is predicted. Reduced neutral beam injection power has been identified as the key parameter separating this discharge from other discharges exhibiting a shortfall. Further analysis shows that the energy transport in the L-mode near edge region is not stiff according to TGLF. Unlike the H-mode core region, the predicted temperature profiles are relatively more responsive to changes in auxiliary heating power. In testing the fidelity of TGLF for the near edge region, we find that a recalibration of the collision model is warranted. A recalibration improves agreement between TGLF and nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations performed using the GYRO code with electron-ion collisions. The recalibration only slightly impacts the predicted shortfall.

EU-US transport task force workshop on transport in fusion plasmas: transport near operational limits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Connor, J W; Garbet, X; Giannone, L; Greenwald, M; Hidalgo, C; Loarte, A; Mantica, P

2003-01-01

This conference report summarizes the contributions to, and discussions at, the 9th EU-US transport task force workshop on 'transport in fusion plasmas: transport near operational limits', held in Cordoba, Spain, during 9-12 September 2002. The workshop was organized under three main headings: edge localized mode physics and confinement, profile dynamics and confinement and confinement near operational limits: density and beta limits; this report follows the same structure

Heat and momentum transport of ion internal transport barrier plasmas on Large Helical Device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagaoka, K.; Ida, K.; Yoshinuma, M.

2010-11-01

The peaked ion-temperature profile with steep gradient so called ion internal transport barrier (ion ITB) was formed in the neutral beam heated plasmas on the Large Helical Device (LHD) and the high-ion-temperature regime of helical plasmas has been significantly extended. The ion thermal diffusivity in the ion ITB plasma decreases down to the neoclassical transport level. The heavy ion beam probe (HIBP) observed the smooth potential profile with negative radial electric field (ion root) in the core region where the ion thermal diffusivity decreases significantly. The large toroidal rotation was also observed in the ion ITB core and the transport of toroidal momentum was analyzed qualitatively. The decrease of momentum diffusivity with ion temperature increase was observed in the ion ITB core. The toroidal rotation driven by ion temperature gradient so called intrinsic rotation is also identified. (author)

Plasma transport through magnetic boundaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Treumann, R.A.

1992-01-01

We examine the overall plasma diffusion processes across tangential discontinuities of which the best known example is the Earth's magnetopause during northward interplanetary magnetic field conditions. The existence of the low latitude boundary layer (LLBL) adjacent to the magnetopause during those periods is ample evidence for the presence of so far poorly defined and understood entry processes acting at the magnetopause. We conclude that microscopic instabilities are probably not efficient enough to account for the LLBL. They affect only a small number of resonant particles. It is argued that macroscopic nonresonant turbulence is the most probable mechanism for plasma transport

Transport barriers with and without shear flows in a magnetized plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinell, Julio J.

2014-01-01

Different ways of producing a transport barrier in a toroidal magnetized plasma are discussed and the properties of the barriers are analyzed. The first mechanism is associated with the presence of a sheared plasma flow that is present in a limited region of the plasma, which creates a zonal flow. In contrast to the usual paradigm stating that the sheared flow reduces the turbulence correlation length and leads to suppression of the fluctuation driven transport in the region of highest shear, it is shown that from the perspective of chaotic transport of plasma particles in the fluctuation fields, the transport barrier is formed in the region of zero shear and it can be destroyed when the fluctuation level is high enough. It is also shown that finite gyroradius effects modify the dynamics and introduces new conditions for barrier formation. The second mechanism considers a method in which radio-frequency waves injected into the plasma can stabilize the drift waves and therefore the anomalous transport is reduced, creating a barrier. This process does not involve the presence of sheared flows and depends only on the effect of the RF wave field on the drift waves. The stabilizing effect in this case is due to the nonlinear ponderomotive force which acts in a way that offsets the pressure gradient destabilization. Finally, a mechanism based on the ponderomotive force of RF waves is described which produces poloidal plasma rotation around the resonant surface due to the asymmetry of induced transport; it creates a transport barrier by shear flow stabilization of turbulence

Fractional diffusion models of nonlocal transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castillo-Negrete, D. del

2006-01-01

A class of nonlocal models based on the use of fractional derivatives (FDs) is proposed to describe nondiffusive transport in magnetically confined plasmas. FDs are integro-differential operators that incorporate in a unified framework asymmetric non-Fickian transport, non-Markovian ('memory') effects, and nondiffusive scaling. To overcome the limitations of fractional models in unbounded domains, we use regularized FDs that allow the incorporation of finite-size domain effects, boundary conditions, and variable diffusivities. We present an α-weighted explicit/implicit numerical integration scheme based on the Grunwald-Letnikov representation of the regularized fractional diffusion operator in flux conserving form. In sharp contrast with the standard diffusive model, the strong nonlocality of fractional diffusion leads to a linear in time response for a decaying pulse at short times. In addition, an anomalous fractional pinch is observed, accompanied by the development of an uphill transport region where the 'effective' diffusivity becomes negative. The fractional flux is in general asymmetric and, for steady states, it has a negative (toward the core) component that enhances confinement and a positive component that increases toward the edge and leads to poor confinement. The model exhibits the characteristic anomalous scaling of the confinement time, τ, with the system's size, L, τ∼L α , of low-confinement mode plasma where 1<α<2 is the order of the FD operator. Numerical solutions of the model with an off-axis source show that the fractional inward transport gives rise to profile peaking reminiscent of what is observed in tokamak discharges with auxiliary off-axis heating. Also, cold-pulse perturbations to steady sates in the model exhibit fast, nondiffusive propagation phenomena that resemble perturbative experiments

TEMPEST simulations of the plasma transport in a single-null tokamak geometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, X.Q.; Cohen, R.H.; Rognlien, T.D.; Bodi, K.; Krasheninnikov, S.

2010-01-01

We present edge kinetic ion transport simulations of tokamak plasmas in magnetic divertor geometry using the fully nonlinear (full-f) continuum code TEMPEST. Besides neoclassical transport, a term for divergence of anomalous kinetic radial flux is added to mock up the effect of turbulent transport. To study the relative roles of neoclassical and anomalous transport, TEMPEST simulations were carried out for plasma transport and flow dynamics in a single-null tokamak geometry, including the pedestal region that extends across the separatrix into the scrape-off layer and private flux region. A series of TEMPEST simulations were conducted to investigate the transition of midplane pedestal heat flux and flow from the neoclassical to the turbulent limit and the transition of divertor heat flux and flow from the kinetic to the fluid regime via an anomalous transport scan and a density scan. The TEMPEST simulation results demonstrate that turbulent transport (as modelled by large diffusion) plays a similar role to collisional decorrelation of particle orbits and that the large turbulent transport (large diffusion) leads to an apparent Maxwellianization of the particle distribution. We also show the transition of parallel heat flux and flow at the entrance to the divertor plates from the fluid to the kinetic regime. For an absorbing divertor plate boundary condition, a non-half-Maxwellian is found due to the balance between upstream radial anomalous transport and energetic ion endloss.

Effect of impurities on kinetic transport processes in fusion plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Braun, Stefanie

2010-12-10

Within the framework of this thesis, different problems arising in connection with impurities have been investigated. Collisional damping of zonal flows in tokamaks: Since the Coulomb collision frequency increases with increasing ion charge, heavy, highly charged impurities play an important role in this process. The effect of such impurities on the linear response of the plasma to an external potential perturbation, as caused by zonal flows, is calculated with analytical methods. In comparison with a pure plasma, the damping of the flows occurs, as expected, considerably faster; for experimentally relevant parameters, the enhancement exceeds the effective charge Z{sub eff} of the plasma. Impurity transport driven by microturbulence in tokamaks: With regard to impurities, it is especially important whether the resulting flows are directed inwards or outwards, since they are deleterious for core energy confinement on the one hand, but on the other hand help protecting plasma-facing components from too high energy fluxes in the edge region. A semi-analytical model is presented describing the resulting impurity fluxes and the stability boundary of the underlying mode. The main goal is to bridge the gap between, on the one hand, costly numerical simulations, which are applicable to a broad range of problems but yield scarcely traceable results, and, on the other hand, analytical theory, which might ease the interpretation of the results but is so far rather rudimentary. The model is based on analytical formulae whenever possible but resorts to a numerical treatment when the approximations necessary for an analytical solution would lead to a substantial distortion of the results. Both the direction of the impurity flux and the stability boundary are found to depend sensitively on the plasma parameters such as the impurity density and the temperature gradient. Pfirsch-Schlueter transport in stellarators: Due to geometry effects, collisional transport plays a much more

The use of internal transport barriers in tokamak plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Challis, C D [Euratom/UKAEA Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 3DB (United Kingdom)

2004-12-01

Internal transport barriers (ITBs) can provide high tokamak confinement at modest plasma current. This is desirable for operation with most of the current driven non-inductively by the bootstrap mechanism, as currently envisaged for steady-state power plants. Maintaining such plasmas in steady conditions with high plasma purity is challenging, however, due to MHD instabilities and impurity transport effects. Significant progress has been made in the control of ITB plasmas: the pressure profile has been varied using the barrier location; q-profile modification has been achieved with non-inductive current drive, and means have been found to affect density peaking and impurity accumulation. All these features are, to some extent, interdependent and must be integrated self-consistently to demonstrate a sound basis for extrapolation to future devices.

Hydrogen transport in a toroidal plasma using multigroup discrete-ordinates methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wienke, B.R.; Miller, W.F. Jr.; Seed, T.J.

1979-01-01

Neutral hydrogen transport in a fully ionized two-dimensional tokamak plasma was examined using discrete ordinates and contrasted with earlier analyses. In particular, curvature effects induced by toroidal geometries and ray effects caused by possible source localization were investigated. From an overview of the multigroup discrete-ordinates approximation, methodology in two-dimensional cylindrical geometry is detailed, mesh and plasma zoning procedures are sketched, and the piecewise polynomial solution algorithm on a triangular domain is obtained. Toroidal effects and comparisons as related to reaction rates and perticle spectra are examined for various model and source configurations

A partially ionized plasma modeling; Un modele de plasma partiellement ionise

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Le Thanh, K.C.; Raviart, P.A

2003-07-01

We propose a model for the partially ionized plasma sheaths near the anode of an anodic spot electric arc where the cathode is considered as an electron emitter. A fluid description takes into account the heating and the ionization of the plasma induced by the electron beam. As physical hypothesis we assume that the condition of charge neutrality is valid. According that the electron mass can be neglected compared to the ion mass, we can assume that ions and atoms have the same velocity and the same temperature. Electrons and heavy particles are then regarded as two separate fluids coexisting in the plasma. Governing equations are then multi-fluid equations with relaxation correction to the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) and heating by Joule effect. Equations are solved by an operator splitting procedure. That is we first discretize the homogeneous conservation laws (i.e. without source terms) by a finite volume method. The second step is to solve the ordinary differential system (i.e, governing equation without transport terms) with an implicit scheme. (authors)

Basic Studies of Non-Diffusive Transport in Plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morales, George J. [University of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Maggs, James E. [University of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

2014-10-25

The project expanded and developed mathematical descriptions, and corresponding numerical modeling, of non-diffusive transport to incorporate new perspectives derived from basic transport experiments performed in the LAPD device at UCLA, and at fusion devices throughout the world. By non-diffusive it is meant that the transport of fundamental macroscopic parameters of a system, such as temperature and density, does not follow the standard diffusive behavior predicted by a classical Fokker-Planck equation. The appearance of non-diffusive behavior is often related to underlying microscopic processes that cause the value of a system parameter, at one spatial position, to be linked to distant events, i.e., non-locality. In the LAPD experiments the underlying process was traced to large amplitude, coherent drift-waves that give rise to chaotic trajectories. Significant advances were made in this project. The results have lead to a new perspective about the fundamentals of edge transport in magnetically confined plasmas; the insight has important consequences for worldwide studies in fusion devices. Progress was also made in advancing the mathematical techniques used to describe fractional diffusion.

Collisional transport in a plasma with steep gradients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, W.; Okamoto, M.; Nakajima, N.; Murakami, S.

1999-06-01

The validity is given to the newly proposed two δf method for neoclassical transport calculation, which can be solve the drift kinetic equation considering effects of steep plasma gradients, large radial electric field, finite banana width, and an orbit topology near the axis. The new method is applied to the study of ion transport with steep plasma gradients. It is found that the ion thermal diffusivity decreases as the scale length of density gradient decreases, while the ion particle flux due to ion-ion self collisions increases with increasing gradient. (author)

Ion turbulence and thermal transport in laser-produced plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barr, H.C.; Boyd, T.J.M.

1982-01-01

In the interaction of high-intensity lasers with target plasmas the transport of thermal energy from the region in which the radiation is absorbed, to the cold dense plasma in the interior of the target, is an issue of central importance. The role of ion turbulence as a flux limiter is addressed with particular regard to recent experiments in which target plasmas were irradiated by 1.06 μm neodymium laser light at irradiances of 10 15 W cm - 2 and greater. Saturation levels of the ion-acoustic turbulence driven by a combination of a suprathermal electron current and a heat flux are calculated on the basis of perturbed orbit theory. The levels of turbulence are found to be markedly lower than those commonly estimated from simple trapping arguments and too low to explain the thermal flux inhibition observed in the experiments used as a basis for the model. (author)

'Quasi-plasma' transport model in deuterium overloaded palladium cathodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ninno, A. de; Violante, V.

1993-01-01

The Pd-D system has been described assuming a two-population model. A 'quasi-plasma' delocalized boson gas picture has been used for the deuterons exceeding the stoichiometric ratio in Pd-D compounds. A mathematical model supported by a numerical computer code with distributed parameters has been developed in order to describe the evolution of the deuteron concentration profile inside a Pd cathode under pulsed electrolysis. Several boundary conditions have been taken into account. A strong correlation has been found between the model system evolution and the experimental data. (author)

Nonlinear dynamics and plasma transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antonsen, T.M. Jr.; Drake, J.F.; Finn, J.M.; Guzdar, P.N.; Hassam, A.B.; Sagdeev, R.Z.

1992-01-01

In this paper we summarize the progress made over the last year in three different areas of research: (a) shear flow generation and reduced transport in fluids and plasma, (b) nonlinear dynamics and visualization of 3D flows, and (c) application of wavelet analysis to the study of fractal dimensions in experimental and numerical data

Local transport analysis of L-mode plasmas in JT-60 tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirayama, Toshio; Kikuchi, Mitsuru; Shirai, Hiroshi; Shimizu, Katsuhiro; Yagi, Masatoshi; Koide, Yoshihiko; Ishida, Shinichi; Azumi, Masafumi.

1991-03-01

Local heat transport has been studied in auxiliary heated JT-60 plasmas with emphasis on understanding the deteriorated confinement observed in L-mode plasmas. The systematic experiment and analysis have been carried out in L-mode phase of divertor (single null, lower X-point), and limiter discharges with hydrogen neutral beam heating into hydrogen plasmas, based on sets of consistent experimental data including ion temperature profiles from CXR measurements. The deterioration in the energy confinement time with increasing the auxiliary heating power, so-called the power scaling, is mainly due to the degradation in ion energy transport. The confinement improvement as the plasma current increases is followed by both improvement in ion and electron transport properties. It is found that the ion thermal diffusivity has an approval dependence on the density. High ion temperature (T i (0) ≤ 12 keV) L-mode plasmas are attained at high β p up to 3.5. The centrally peaked ion temperature is significantly due to the improvement in ion transport property, which is reduced to the level of the electron thermal diffusivities. (author)

Interactions between Radial Electric Field, Transport and Structure in Helical Plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ida, Katsumi and others

2006-01-01

Control of the radial electric field is considered to be important in helical plasmas, because the radial electric field and its shear are expected to reduce neoclassical and anomalous transport, respectively. Particle and heat transport, that determines the radial structure of density and electron profiles, sensitive to the structure of radial electric field. On the other hand, the radial electric field itself is determined by the plasma parameters. In general, the sign of the radial electric field is determined by the plasma collisionality, while the magnitude of the radial electric field is determined by the temperature and/or density gradients. Therefore the structure of radial electric field and temperature and density are strongly coupled through the particle and heat transport and formation mechanism of radial electric field. Interactions between radial electric field, transport and structure in helical plasmas is discussed based on the experiments on Large Helical Device

Transition phenomena and thermal transport properties in LHD plasmas with an electron internal transport barrier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimozuma, T.; Kubo, S.; Idei, H.; Inagaki, S.; Tamura, N.; Tokuzawa, T.; Morisaki, T.; Watanabe, K.Y.; Ida, K.; Yamada, I.; Narihara, K.; Muto, S.; Yokoyama, M.; Yoshimura, Y.; Notake, T.; Ohkubo, K.; Seki, T.; Saito, K.; Kumazawa, R.; Mutoh, T.; Watari, T.; Komori, A.

2005-01-01

Two types of improved core confinement were observed during centrally focused electron cyclotron heating (ECH) into plasmas sustained by counter (CNTR) and Co neutral beam injections (NBI) in the Large Helical Device. The CNTR NBI plasma displayed transition phenomena to the high-electron-temperature state and had a clear electron internal transport barrier, while the Co NBI plasma did not show a clear transition or an ECH power threshold but showed broad high temperature profiles with moderate temperature gradient. This indicated that the Co NBI plasma with additional ECH also had an improved core confinement. The electron heat transport characteristics of these plasmas were directly investigated using heat pulse propagation excited by modulated ECH. These effects appear to be related to the m/n = 2/1 rational surface or the island induced by NBI beam-driven current

Fluid model of the magnetic presheath in a turbulent plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanojevic, M; Duhovnik, J; Jelic, N; Kendl, A; Kuhn, S

2005-01-01

A fluid model of the magnetic presheath in a turbulent boundary plasma is presented. Turbulent transport corrections of the classical three-dimensional fluid transport equations, which can be used to study magnetic presheaths in various geometries, are derived by means of the ensemble averaging procedure from the statistical theory of plasma turbulence. Then, the magnetic presheath in front of an infinite plane surface is analysed in detail. The linearized planar magnetic presheath equations are applied to the plasma-presheath-magnetic-presheath boundary (i.e. the magnetic presheath edge), whereas the original non-linear planar magnetic presheath equations are used for the entire magnetic presheath, allowing for various sets of experimentally relevant free model parameters to be applied. Important new results of this study are, among others, new expressions for the fluid Bohm criterion at the Debye sheath edge and for the ion flux density perpendicular to the wall. These new results, which exhibit corrections due to the turbulent charged particle transport, can qualitatively explain the fact that whenever the angle between the magnetic field and the wall is very small (i.e. several degrees) or zero, electric currents, measured by Langmuir probes in the boundary regions of nuclear fusion devices and in various low-temperature plasmas, are anomalously enhanced in comparison with those expected or predicted by other theoretical models

Hydrocarbon transport in the laboratory plasma (MAP)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsuyama, Seiji; Yamaguchi, Kenji; Yamawaki, Michio [Tokyo Univ., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Nuclear Engineering Research Lab.; Tanaka, Satoru

1996-10-01

Hydrocarbons are admitted in the laboratory plasma in order to investigate the transport processes of carbon - containing molecules in relation to redeposition processes in the fusion boundary plasma. When CH{sub 4} was introduced into the plasma, CH radical band spectra were optically identified, while in the case of C{sub 2}H{sub 2} introduction, C{sub 2} radicals were also identified in addition to CH radicals. Excitation temperature was determined from CH and C{sub 2} spectra band, which was observed to increase on approaching to the target. (author)

Jetto a free boundary plasma transport code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cenacchi, G.; Taroni, A.

1988-01-01

JETTO is a one-and-a-half-dimensional transport code calculating the evolution of plasma parameters in a time dependent axisymmetric MHD equilibrium configuration. A splitting technique gives a consistent solution of coupled equilibrium and transport equations. The plasma boundary is free and defined either by its contact with a limiter (wall) or by a separatrix or by the toroidal magnetic flux. The Grad's approach to the equilibrium problem with adiabatic (or similar) constraints is adopted. This method consists of iterating by alternately solving the Grad-Schluter-Shafranov equation (PDE) and the ODE obtained by averaging the PDE over the magnetic surfaces. The bidimensional equation of the poloidal flux is solved by a finite difference scheme, whereas a Runge-Kutta method is chosen for the averaged equilibrium equation. The 1D transport equations (averaged over the magnetic surfaces) for the electron and ion densities and energies and for the rotational transform are written in terms of a coordinate (ρ) related to the toroidal flux. Impurity transport is also considered, under the hypothesis of coronal equilibrium. The transport equations are solved by an implicit scheme in time and by a finite difference scheme in space. The centering of the source terms and transport coefficients is performed using a Predictor-Corrector scheme. The basic version of the code is described here in detail; input and output parameters are also listed

A Unified Gas Kinetic Scheme for Transport and Collision Effects in Plasma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dongxin Pan

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In this study, the Boltzmann equation with electric acceleration term is discretized and solved by the unified gas-kinetic scheme (UGKS. The charged particle transport driven by electric field is included in the electric acceleration term. To capture non-equilibrium distribution function, the probability distribution functions of gas is discretized in a discrete velocity space. After discretization, the numerical flux for distribution function is computed to update the microscopic and macroscopic states. The flux is decided by an integral solution of Boltzmann equation based on characteristic problem. An electron-ion collision model is introduced in the Boltzmann Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook (BGK equation. This finite volume method for the UGKS couples the free transport and long-range interaction between particles. For simplicity, the electric field induced by charged particles is controlled by the Poisson’s equation, which is solved using the Green’s function for two dimensional plasma system subjected to the symmetry or periodic boundary conditions. Two numerical cases, linear Landau damping and Gaussian beam, are carried out to validate the proposed method. The linear electron plasma wave damping is simulated based on electron-ion collision operator. Comparison results show good accuracy and higher efficiency than particle based methods. Difference between Poisson’s equation and complete electromagnetic Maxwell equation is presented by numerical results based on the two models. Highly non-equilibrium and rarefied plasma flows, such as electron flows driven by electromagnetic field, can be simulated easily. The UGKS-Poisson model is proved to be promising in plasma flow simulation.

Relationship between particle and heat transport in JT-60U plasmas with internal transport barrier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takenaga, Hidenobu; Higashijima, S.; Oyama, N.

2003-01-01

The relationship between particle and heat transport in an internal transport barrier (ITB) has been systematically investigated in reversed shear (RS) and high β p ELMy H-mode plasmas in JT-60U. No helium and carbon accumulation inside the ITB is observed even with ion heat transport reduced to a neoclassical level. On the other hand, the heavy impurity argon is accumulated inside the ITB. The argon density profile estimated from the soft x-ray profile is more peaked, by a factor of 2-4 in the RS plasma and of 1.6 in the high β p mode plasma, than the electron density profile. The helium diffusivity (D He ) and the ion thermal diffusivity (χ i ) are at an anomalous level in the high β p mode plasma, where D He and χ i are higher by a factor of 5-10 than the neoclassical value. In the RS plasma, D He is reduced from the anomalous to the neoclassical level, together with χ i . The carbon and argon density profiles calculated using the transport coefficients reduced to the neoclassical level only in the ITB are more peaked than the measured profiles, even when χ i is reduced to the neoclassical level. Argon exhaust from the inside of the ITB is demonstrated by applying ECH in the high β p mode plasma, where both electron and argon density profiles become flatter. The reduction of the neoclassical inward velocity for argon due to the reduction of density gradient is consistent with the experimental observation. In the RS plasma, the density gradient is not decreased by ECH and argon is not exhausted. These results suggest the importance of density control to suppress heavy impurity accumulation. (author)

Relationship between particle and heat transport in JT-60U plasmas with internal transport barrier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takenaga, H.; Higashijima, S.; Oyama, N.

2003-01-01

The relationship between particle and heat transport in an internal transport barrier (ITB) has been systematically investigated in reversed shear (RS) and high β p ELMy H-mode plasmas in JT-60U. No helium and carbon accumulation inside the ITB is observed even with ion heat transport reduced to a neoclassical level. On the other hand, the heavy impurity argon is accumulated inside the ITB. The argon density profile estimated from the soft x-ray profile is more peaked, by a factor of 2-4 in the RS plasma and of 1.6 in the high β p mode plasma, than the electron density profile. The helium diffusivity (D He ) and the ion thermal diffusivity (χ i ) are at an anomalous level in the high β p mode plasma, where D He and χ i are higher by a factor of 5-10 than the neoclassical value. In the RS plasma, D He is reduced from the anomalous to the neoclassical level, together with χ i . The carbon and argon density profiles calculated using the transport coefficients reduced to the neoclassical level only in the ITB are more peaked than the measured profiles, even when χ i is reduced to the neoclassical level. Argon exhaust from the inside of the ITB is demonstrated by applying ECH in the high β p mode plasma, where both electron and argon density profiles become flatter. The reduction of the neoclassical inward velocity for argon due to the reduction of density gradient is consistent with the experimental observation. In the RS plasma, the density gradient is not decreased by ECH and argon is not exhausted. These results suggest the importance of density gradient control to suppress heavy impurity accumulation. (author)

Final technical report on studies of plasma transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Neil, T.M.; Driscoll, C.F.; Malmberg, J.H.

1997-01-01

This document gives an overview of the scientific results obtained under the DOE grant, and references the journal articles which give more complete descriptions of the various topics. Recently, the research has been focused on 2-dimensional vortices and turbulence: experiments using a new camera-diagnosed electron plasma apparatus have given surprising results which both clarify and challenge theories. Here, the crossfield E x B flow of the electron plasma is directly analogous to the 2-d flow of an ideal fluid such as water, and may also give insight into more complicated poloidal flows exhibited in toroidal plasmas. The shear-flow instabilities, turbulence, and vortices can be accurately observed, and the free relaxation of this turbulence has been characterized. The physical processes underlying the complicated turbulent evolution can also be studied in more controlled near-linear regimes. The original experimental focus of this program was on radial particle transport from applied external field asymmetries. Here, this research program clearly identified the importance of the collective response of the plasma, giving smaller fields from shielding, or enhanced fields from resonant modes. Experiments and theory work have also elucidated the flow of a plasma along the magnetic field. Finally, some theory was pursued for direct application to fusion plasmas, and to gravitating gas clouds in astrophysics. This program was highly successful in clarifying basic plasma transport processes

Anomalous transport in turbulent plasmas and continuous time random walks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balescu, R.

1995-01-01

The possibility of a model of anomalous transport problems in a turbulent plasma by a purely stochastic process is investigated. The theory of continuous time random walks (CTRW's) is briefly reviewed. It is shown that a particular class, called the standard long tail CTRW's is of special interest for the description of subdiffusive transport. Its evolution is described by a non-Markovian diffusion equation that is constructed in such a way as to yield exact values for all the moments of the density profile. The concept of a CTRW model is compared to an exact solution of a simple test problem: transport of charged particles in a fluctuating magnetic field in the limit of infinite perpendicular correlation length. Although the well-known behavior of the mean square displacement proportional to t 1/2 is easily recovered, the exact density profile cannot be modeled by a CTRW. However, the quasilinear approximation of the kinetic equation has the form of a non-Markovian diffusion equation and can thus be generated by a CTRW

Self-organized criticality as a paradigm for transport in magnetically confined plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carreras, B.A.; Newman, D.; Lynch, V.E.; Diamond, P.H.

1996-01-01

Many models of natural phenomena manifest the basic hypothesis of self-organized criticality (SOC) [P. Bak, C. Tang, and K. Weisenfeld, Phys. Rev. Lett., 1987, vol. 59, p. 381]. The SOC concept brings together the self-similarity on space and time scales that are common to many of these phenomena. The application of the SOC modeling concept to the plasma dynamics near marginal stability opens new possibilities of understanding issues such as Bohm scaling, profile consistency, broad-band fluctuation spectra with universal characteristics, and fast time scales. In this paper, we review the SOC concept and its possible applications to the study of transport in magnetically confined plasmas

Isotopic scaling of transport in deuterium-tritium plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scott, S.D.; Adler, H.; Bell, M.G.; Bell, R.; Budny, R.V.; Bush, C.E.; Chang, Z.; Duong, H.

1995-01-01

Both global and thermal energy confinement improve in high-temperature supershot plasmas in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) when deuterium beam heating is partially or wholly replaced by tritium beam heating. For the same heating power, the tritium-rich plasmas obtain up to 22% higher total energy, 30% higher thermal ion energy, and 20-25% higher central ion temperature. Kinetic analysis of the temperature and density profiles indicates a favorable isotopic scaling of ion heat transport and electron particle transport, with τ Ei (a/2) ∝ (A) 0.7-0.8 and τ pe (a) ∝ (A) 0.8

Relaxation oscillations and transport barrier dynamics in tokamak edge plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benkadda, Sadruddin; Beyer, Peter; Fuhr-Chaudier, Guillaume; Garbet, Xavier; Ghendrih, Philippe; Sarazin, Yanick

2004-01-01

Oscillations of turbulent transport of particles and energy in magnetically confined plasmas can be easily observed in simulations of a variety of turbulence models. These oscillations typically involve a mechanism of energy exchange between fluctuations and a poloidal shear flow. This kind of ''predator-prey'' mechanism is found to be not relevant for transport barrier relaxations. In RBM simulations of resistive ballooning turbulence with transport barrier, relaxation oscillations of the latter are observed even in the case of frozen poloidal shear flow. These relaxations are due to a transitory growth of a mode localized at the barrier center. A one-dimensional model for the evolution of such a mode in the presence of a shear flow describes a transitory growth of an initial perturbation. Oscillations in the case of a finite steady-state shear flow are possible due to the coupling of the mode to the dynamics of the pressure profile. (author)

Non-local transport in a tokamak plasma divertor with recycling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abou-Assaleh, Z.; Petravic, M.; Vesey, R.

1993-01-01

The plasma transport, particle and energy fluxes, near the diverter plate with high recycling has been modeled by using an electron kinetic code (Fokker-Planck International) in conjunction with a two-fluid ambipolar code. We include the effects of ionization and excitation of the hydrogen atoms. The electron energy distribution calculated from the kinetic code shows a large deviation from Maxwellian especially near the plate. This deviation from Maxwellian is due to the non-local transport of the suprathermal electrons from the SOL, and due also to the absorption of the fast electrons by the target plate. The heat flux near the plate is shown to be nonlocal, in that it is not determined uniquely by the local plasma parameters. Therefore the classical transport coefficients in the fluid model must be modified by including a nonlocal effect to produce the kinetic results. The kinetic calculation is compared with those of the fluid code with different values of the electron heat flux limiter factor (f). To reduce the computer load, the initial condition we used corresponds to the equilibrium solution already found with the fluid code with f=0.2. The fluid and Fokker-Planck codes are relaxed until all transients associated with electron dynamics have disappeared. In section 2, we present the kinetic code. The fluid code is presented in section 3. The boundary conditions used in these simulations are given in section 4. Finally the results and conclusion of these simulations are presented in section 5

Anomalous transport in toroidal plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Punjabi, A.

1991-01-01

We have developed a Monte Carlo method to estimate the transport of different groups of particles for plasmas in toroidal geometries. This method can determine the important transport mechanisms driving the anomalous transport by comparing the numerical results with the experimental data. The important groups of particles whose transport can be estimated by this method include runaway electrons, thermal electrons, both passing and trapped diagnostic beam ions etc. The three basic mechanisms driving the anomalous transport are: spatial variation of magnetic field strength, spatial variation of electrostatic potential within the flux surfaces, and the loss of flux surfaces. The equation of motion are obtained from the drift hamiltonian. The equations of motion are developed in the canonical and in the non-canonical, practical co-ordinates as well. The effects of collisions are represented by appropriate stochastic changes in the constants of motion at each time-step. Here we present the results of application of this method to three cases: superathermal alphas in the rippled field of tokamaks, motion in the magnetic turbulence of takapole II, and transport in the stochastic fields of ZT40. This work is supported by DOE OFE and ORAU HBCU program

Fast ions and momentum transport in JET tokamak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salmi, A.

2012-01-01

Fast ions are an inseparable part of fusion plasmas. They can be generated using electromagnetic waves or injected into plasmas as neutrals to heat the bulk plasma and to drive toroidal rotation and current. In future power plants fusion born fast ions deliver the main heating into the plasma. Understanding and controlling the fast ions is of crucial importance for the operation of a power plant. Furthermore, fast ions provide ways to probe the properties of the thermal plasma and get insight of its confinement properties. In this thesis, numerical code packages are used and developed to simulate JET experiments for a range of physics issues related to fast ions. Namely, the clamping fast ion distribution at high energies with RF heating, fast ion ripple torque generation and the toroidal momentum transport properties using NBI modulation technique are investigated. Through a comparison of numerical simulations and the JET experimental data it is shown that the finite Larmor radius effects in ion cyclotron resonance heating are important and that they can prevent fast ion tail formation beyond certain energy. The identified mechanism could be used for tailoring the fast ion distribution in future experiments. Secondly, ASCOT simulations of NBI ions in a ripple field showed that most of the reduction of the toroidal rotation that has been observed in the JET enhanced ripple experiments could be attributed to fast ion ripple torque. Finally, fast ion torque calculations together with momentum transport analysis have led to the conclusion that momentum transport in not purely diffusive but that a convective component, which increases monotonically in radius, exists in a wide range of JET plasmas. Using parameter scans, the convective transport has been shown to be insensitive to collisionality and q-profile but to increase strongly against density gradient. (orig.)

Fast ions and momentum transport in JET tokamak plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salmi, A.

2012-07-01

Fast ions are an inseparable part of fusion plasmas. They can be generated using electromagnetic waves or injected into plasmas as neutrals to heat the bulk plasma and to drive toroidal rotation and current. In future power plants fusion born fast ions deliver the main heating into the plasma. Understanding and controlling the fast ions is of crucial importance for the operation of a power plant. Furthermore, fast ions provide ways to probe the properties of the thermal plasma and get insight of its confinement properties. In this thesis, numerical code packages are used and developed to simulate JET experiments for a range of physics issues related to fast ions. Namely, the clamping fast ion distribution at high energies with RF heating, fast ion ripple torque generation and the toroidal momentum transport properties using NBI modulation technique are investigated. Through a comparison of numerical simulations and the JET experimental data it is shown that the finite Larmor radius effects in ion cyclotron resonance heating are important and that they can prevent fast ion tail formation beyond certain energy. The identified mechanism could be used for tailoring the fast ion distribution in future experiments. Secondly, ASCOT simulations of NBI ions in a ripple field showed that most of the reduction of the toroidal rotation that has been observed in the JET enhanced ripple experiments could be attributed to fast ion ripple torque. Finally, fast ion torque calculations together with momentum transport analysis have led to the conclusion that momentum transport in not purely diffusive but that a convective component, which increases monotonically in radius, exists in a wide range of JET plasmas. Using parameter scans, the convective transport has been shown to be insensitive to collisionality and q-profile but to increase strongly against density gradient. (orig.)

Convective transport of highly plasma protein bound drugs facilitates direct penetration into deep tissues after topical application

Science.gov (United States)

Dancik, Yuri; Anissimov, Yuri G; Jepps, Owen G; Roberts, Michael S

2012-01-01

AIMS To relate the varying dermal, subcutaneous and muscle microdialysate concentrations found in man after topical application to the nature of the drug applied and to the underlying physiology. METHODS We developed a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model in which transport to deeper tissues was determined by tissue diffusion, blood, lymphatic and intersitial flow transport and drug properties. The model was applied to interpret published human microdialysis data, estimated in vitro dermal diffusion and protein binding affinity of drugs that have been previously applied topically in vivo and measured in deep cutaneous tissues over time. RESULTS Deeper tissue microdialysis concentrations for various drugs in vivo vary widely. Here, we show that carriage by the blood to the deeper tissues below topical application sites facilitates the transport of highly plasma protein bound drugs that penetrate the skin, leading to rapid and significant concentrations in those tissues. Hence, the fractional concentration for the highly plasma protein bound diclofenac in deeper tissues is 0.79 times that in a probe 4.5 mm below a superficial probe whereas the corresponding fractional concentration for the poorly protein bound nicotine is 0.02. Their corresponding estimated in vivo lag times for appearance of the drugs in the deeper probes were 1.1 min for diclofenac and 30 min for nicotine. CONCLUSIONS Poorly plasma protein bound drugs are mainly transported to deeper tissues after topical application by tissue diffusion whereas the transport of highly plasma protein bound drugs is additionally facilitated by convective blood, lymphatic and interstitial transport to deep tissues. PMID:21999217

Plasma transport properties at the L-H transition and high performance phase of JET discharges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balet, B; Cordey, J G; Erba, M; Jones, T T.C.; Lomas, P J; Smeulders, P; Springmann, E M; Stubberfield, P M; Taroni, A; Thomsen, K [Commission of the European Communities, Abingdon (United Kingdom). JET Joint Undertaking; Parail, V V [Kurchatov Institute, Moscow (Russian Federation)

1994-07-01

Numerical analysis are performed which show that both electron and ion thermal diffusivities are reduced by one order of magnitude everywhere, not only in a narrow region near separatrix during the L-H transition. There is no separate H-VH transition on JET, this transition coincides with the cessation of ELMs. In the ELM free phase ion transport in the core is close to its neoclassical value, but probably rises towards plasma edge (however still remaining much less than it was in L-mode). The best agreement with experiment is obtained with the model which simultaneously takes into account both the global reduction of Bohm type anomalous transport in plasma core and formation of temperature pedestal near plasma edge. (authors). 6 refs., 5 figs.

Modelling of shear effects on thermal and particle transport in advanced Tokamak scenarios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreau, D.; Voitsekhovitch, I.; Baker, D.R.

1999-01-01

Evolution of thermal and particle internal transport barriers (ITBs) is studied by modelling the time-dependent energy and particle balance in DIII-D plasmas with reversed magnetic shear configurations and in JET discharges with monotonic or slightly reversed q-profiles and large ExB rotation shear. Simulations are performed with semi-empirical models for anomalous diffusion and particle pinch. Stabilizing effects of magnetic and ExB rotation shears are included in anomalous particle and heat diffusivity. Shear effects on particle and thermal transport are compared. Improved particle and energy confinement with the formation of an internal transport barrier (ITB) has been produced in DIII-D plasmas during current ramp-up accompanied with neutral beam injection (NBI). These plasmas are characterized by strong reversed magnetic shear and large ExB rotation shear which provide the reduction of anomalous fluxes. The formation of ITB's in the optimized shear (OS) JET scenario starts with strong NBI heating in a target plasma with a flat or slightly reversed q-profile pre-formed during current ramp-up with ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRH). Our paper presents the modelling of particle and thermal transport for these scenarios. (authors)

Elemental transport coefficients in viscous plasma flows near local thermodynamic equilibrium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orsini, Alessio; Kustova, Elena V.

2009-01-01

We propose a convenient formulation of elemental transport coefficients in chemically reacting and plasma flows locally approaching thermodynamic equilibrium. A set of transport coefficients for elemental diffusion velocities, heat flux, and electric current is introduced. These coefficients relate the transport fluxes with the electric field and with the spatial gradients of elemental fractions, pressure, and temperature. The proposed formalism based on chemical elements and fully symmetric with the classical transport theory based on chemical species, is particularly suitable to model mixing and demixing phenomena due to diffusion of chemical elements. The aim of this work is threefold: to define a simple and rigorous framework suitable for numerical implementation, to allow order of magnitude estimations and qualitative predictions of elemental transport phenomena, and to gain a deeper insight into the physics of chemically reacting flows near local equilibrium.

Impact of plasma triangularity and collisionality on electron heat transport in TCV L-mode plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camenen, Y.; Pochelon, A.; Behn, R.; Bottino, A.; Bortolon, A.; Coda, S.; Karpushov, A.; Sauter, O.; Zhuang, G.

2007-01-01

The impact of plasma shaping on electron heat transport is investigated in TCV L-mode plasmas. The study is motivated by the observation of an increase in the energy confinement time with decreasing plasma triangularity which may not be explained by a change in the temperature gradient induced by changes in the geometry of the flux surfaces. The plasma triangularity is varied over a wide range, from positive to negative values, and various plasmas conditions are explored by changing the total electron cyclotron (EC) heating power and the plasma density. The mid-radius electron heat diffusivity is shown to significantly decrease with decreasing triangularity and, for similar plasma conditions, only half of the EC power is required at a triangularity of -0.4 compared with +0.4 to obtain the same temperature profile. Besides, the observed dependence of the electron heat diffusivity on the electron temperature, electron density and effective charge can be grouped in a unique dependence on the plasma effective collisionality. In summary, the electron heat transport level exhibits a continuous decrease with decreasing triangularity and increasing collisionality. Local gyro-fluid and global gyro-kinetic simulations predict that trapped electron modes are the most unstable modes in these EC heated plasmas with an effective collisionality ranging from 0.2 to 1. The modes stability dependence on the plasma triangularity is investigated

Enquiry into the Topology of Plasma Membrane-Localized PIN Auxin Transport Components.

Science.gov (United States)

Nodzyński, Tomasz; Vanneste, Steffen; Zwiewka, Marta; Pernisová, Markéta; Hejátko, Jan; Friml, Jiří

2016-11-07

Auxin directs plant ontogenesis via differential accumulation within tissues depending largely on the activity of PIN proteins that mediate auxin efflux from cells and its directional cell-to-cell transport. Regardless of the developmental importance of PINs, the structure of these transporters is poorly characterized. Here, we present experimental data concerning protein topology of plasma membrane-localized PINs. Utilizing approaches based on pH-dependent quenching of fluorescent reporters combined with immunolocalization techniques, we mapped the membrane topology of PINs and further cross-validated our results using available topology modeling software. We delineated the topology of PIN1 with two transmembrane (TM) bundles of five α-helices linked by a large intracellular loop and a C-terminus positioned outside the cytoplasm. Using constraints derived from our experimental data, we also provide an updated position of helical regions generating a verisimilitude model of PIN1. Since the canonical long PINs show a high degree of conservation in TM domains and auxin transport capacity has been demonstrated for Arabidopsis representatives of this group, this empirically enhanced topological model of PIN1 will be an important starting point for further studies on PIN structure-function relationships. In addition, we have established protocols that can be used to probe the topology of other plasma membrane proteins in plants. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transport modelling for ergodic configurations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Runov, A.; Kasilov, S.V.; McTaggart, N.; Schneider, R.; Bonnin, X.; Zagorski, R.; Reiter, D.

2004-01-01

The effect of ergodization, either by additional coils like in TEXTOR-dynamic ergodic divertor (DED) or by intrinsic plasma effects like in W7-X, defines the need for transport models that are able to describe the ergodic configuration properly. A prerequisite for this is the concept of local magnetic coordinates allowing a correct discretization with minimized numerical errors. For these coordinates the appropriate full metric tensor has to be known. To study the transport in complex edge geometries (in particular for W7-X) two possible methods are used. First, a finite-difference discretization of the transport equations on a custom-tailored grid in local magnetic coordinates is used. This grid is generated by field-line tracing to guarantee an exact discretization of the dominant parallel transport (thus also minimizing the numerical diffusion problem). The perpendicular fluxes are then interpolated in a plane (a toroidal cut), where the interpolation problem for a quasi-isotropic system has to be solved by a constrained Delaunay triangulation (keeping the structural information for magnetic surfaces if they exist) and discretization. All toroidal terms are discretized by finite differences. Second, a Monte Carlo transport model originally developed for the modelling of the DED configuration of TEXTOR is used. A generalization and extension of this model was necessary to be able to handle W7-X. The model solves the transport equations with Monte Carlo techniques making use of mappings of local magnetic coordinates. The application of this technique to W7-X in a limiter-like configuration is presented. The decreasing dominance of parallel transport with respect to radial transport for electron heat, ion heat and particle transport results in increasingly steep profiles for the respective quantities within the islands. (author)

Recent developments in plasma turbulence and turbulent transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Terry, P.W. [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)

1997-09-22

This report contains viewgraphs of recent developments in plasma turbulence and turbulent transport. Localized nonlinear structures occur under a variety of circumstances in turbulent, magnetically confined plasmas, arising in both kinetic and fluid descriptions, i.e., in either wave-particle or three-wave coupling interactions. These structures are non wavelike. They cannot be incorporated in the collective wave response, but interact with collective modes through their shielding by the plasma dielectric. These structures are predicted to modify turbulence-driven transport in a way that in consistent with, or in some cases are confirmed by recent experimental observations. In kinetic theory, non wavelike structures are localized perturbations of phase space density. There are two types of structures. Holes are self-trapped, while clumps have a self-potential that is too weak to resist deformation and mixing by ambient potential fluctuations. Clumps remain correlated in turbulence if their spatial extent is smaller than the correlation length of the scattering fields. In magnetic turbulence, clumps travel along stochastic magnetic fields, shielded by the plasma dielectric. A drag on the clump macro-particle is exerted by the shielding, inducing emission into the collective response. The emission in turn damps back on the particle distribution via Landau dampling. The exchange of energy between clumps and particles, as mediated by the collective mode, imposes constraints on transport. For a turbulent spectrum whose mean wavenumber along the equilibrium magnetic field is nonzero, the electron thermal flux is proportional to the ion thermal velocity. Conventional predictions (which account only for collective modes) are larger by the square root of the ion to electron mass ratio. Recent measurements are consistent with the small flux. In fluid plasma,s localized coherent structures can occur as intense vortices.

Integrated predictive modelling simulations of burning plasma experiment designs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bateman, Glenn; Onjun, Thawatchai; Kritz, Arnold H

2003-01-01

Models for the height of the pedestal at the edge of H-mode plasmas (Onjun T et al 2002 Phys. Plasmas 9 5018) are used together with the Multi-Mode core transport model (Bateman G et al 1998 Phys. Plasmas 5 1793) in the BALDUR integrated predictive modelling code to predict the performance of the ITER (Aymar A et al 2002 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 44 519), FIRE (Meade D M et al 2001 Fusion Technol. 39 336), and IGNITOR (Coppi B et al 2001 Nucl. Fusion 41 1253) fusion reactor designs. The simulation protocol used in this paper is tested by comparing predicted temperature and density profiles against experimental data from 33 H-mode discharges in the JET (Rebut P H et al 1985 Nucl. Fusion 25 1011) and DIII-D (Luxon J L et al 1985 Fusion Technol. 8 441) tokamaks. The sensitivities of the predictions are evaluated for the burning plasma experimental designs by using variations of the pedestal temperature model that are one standard deviation above and below the standard model. Simulations of the fusion reactor designs are carried out for scans in which the plasma density and auxiliary heating power are varied

Low Z impurity transport in tokamaks. [Neoclassical transport theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hawryluk, R.J.; Suckewer, S.; Hirshman, S.P.

1978-10-01

Low Z impurity transport in tokamaks was simulated with a one-dimensional impurity transport model including both neoclassical and anomalous transport. The neoclassical fluxes are due to collisions between the background plasma and impurity ions as well as collisions between the various ionization states. The evaluation of the neoclassical fluxes takes into account the different collisionality regimes of the background plasma and the impurity ions. A limiter scrapeoff model is used to define the boundary conditions for the impurity ions in the plasma periphery. In order to account for the spectroscopic measurements of power radiated by the lower ionization states, fluxes due to anomalous transport are included. The sensitivity of the results to uncertainties in rate coefficients and plasma parameters in the periphery are investigated. The implications of the transport model for spectroscopic evaluation of impurity concentrations, impurity fluxes, and radiated power from line emission measurements are discussed.

Transport and stability analyses supporting disruption prediction in high beta KSTAR plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, J.-H.; Sabbagh, S. A.; Park, Y. S.; Berkery, J. W.; Jiang, Y.; Riquezes, J.; Lee, H. H.; Terzolo, L.; Scott, S. D.; Wang, Z.; Glasser, A. H.

2017-10-01

KSTAR plasmas have reached high stability parameters in dedicated experiments, with normalized beta βN exceeding 4.3 at relatively low plasma internal inductance li (βN/li>6). Transport and stability analyses have begun on these plasmas to best understand a disruption-free path toward the design target of βN = 5 while aiming to maximize the non-inductive fraction of these plasmas. Initial analysis using the TRANSP code indicates that the non-inductive current fraction in these plasmas has exceeded 50 percent. The advent of KSTAR kinetic equilibrium reconstructions now allows more accurate computation of the MHD stability of these plasmas. Attention is placed on code validation of mode stability using the PEST-3 and resistive DCON codes. Initial evaluation of these analyses for disruption prediction is made using the disruption event characterization and forecasting (DECAF) code. The present global mode kinetic stability model in DECAF developed for low aspect ratio plasmas is evaluated to determine modifications required for successful disruption prediction of KSTAR plasmas. Work supported by U.S. DoE under contract DE-SC0016614.

Isotopic scaling of transport in deuterium-tritium plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scott, S.D.; Murakami, M.; Adler, H.; Chang, Z.; Duong, H.; Grisham, L.R.; Fredrickson, E.D.; Grek, B.; Hawryluk, R.J.; Hill, K.W.; Hosea, J.; Jassby, D.L.; Johnson, D.W.; Johnson, L.C.; Loughlin, M.J.; Mansfield, D.K.; McGuire, K.M.; Meade, D.M.; Mikkelsen, D.M.; Murphy, J.; Park, H.K.; Ramsey, A.T.; Schivell, J.; Skinner, C.H.; Strachan, J.D.; Synakowski, E.J.; Taylor, G.; Thompson, M.E.; Wieland, R.; Zarnstorff, M.C.

1995-01-01

Both global and thermal energy confinement improve in high-temperature supershot plasmas in the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) when deuterium beam heating is partially or wholly replaced by tritium beam heating. For the same heating power, the tritium-rich plasmas obtain up to 22% higher total energy, 30% higher thermal ion energy, and 20-25% higher central ion temperature. Kinetic analysis of the temperature and density profiles indicates a favorable isotopic scaling of ion heat transport and electron particle transport, with τ Ei (a/2) ∝ left angle A right angle 0.7-0.8 and τ pe (a) ∝ left angle A right angle 0.8 . (orig.)

Glycine transporter dimers: evidence for occurrence in the plasma membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartholomäus, Ingo; Milan-Lobo, Laura; Nicke, Annette; Dutertre, Sébastien; Hastrup, Hanne; Jha, Alok; Gether, Ulrik; Sitte, Harald H; Betz, Heinrich; Eulenburg, Volker

2008-04-18

Different Na(+)/Cl(-)-dependent neurotransmitter transporters of the SLC6a family have been shown to form dimers or oligomers in both intracellular compartments and at the cell surface. In contrast, the glycine transporters (GlyTs) GlyT1 and -2 have been reported to exist as monomers in the plasma membrane based on hydrodynamic and native gel electrophoretic studies. Here, we used cysteine substitution and oxidative cross-linking to show that of GlyT1 and GlyT2 also form dimeric complexes within the plasma membrane. GlyT oligomerization at the cell surface was confirmed for both GlyT1 and GlyT2 by fluorescence resonance energy transfer microscopy. Endoglycosidase treatment and surface biotinylation further revealed that complex-glycosylated GlyTs form dimers located at the cell surface. Furthermore, substitution of tryptophan 469 of GlyT2 by an arginine generated a transporter deficient in dimerization that was retained intracellulary. Based on these results and GlyT structures modeled by using the crystal structure of the bacterial homolog LeuT(Aa), as a template, residues located within the extracellular loop 3 and at the beginning of transmembrane domain 6 are proposed to contribute to the dimerization interface of GlyTs.

Transport quasiparticles and transverse interactions in quark-gluon plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baym, Gordon

1996-01-01

Calculations of the properties of interacting quark-gluon plasmas are beset by infrared divergences associated with the fact that magnetic interactions, i.e., those occurring through exchange of transverse gluons, are, in the absence of a 'magnetic mass''in QCD, not screened. In this lecture we discuss the effects of magnetic interactions on the transport coefficients and the quasiparticle structure of quark-gluon plasmas. We describe how inclusion of dynamical screening effects - corresponding to Landau damping of the virtual quanta exchanged - leads to finite transport scattering rates. In the weak coupling limit, dynamical screening effects dominate over a magnetic mass. We illustrate the breakdown of the quasi particle structure of degenerate plasmas caused by long-ranged magnetic interactions, describe the structure of fermion quasiparticles in hot relativistic plasmas, and touch briefly on the problem of the lifetime of quasiparticle in the presence of long-ranged magnetic interactions. (author)

Comparative study of active plasma lenses in high-quality electron accelerator transport lines

Science.gov (United States)

van Tilborg, J.; Barber, S. K.; Benedetti, C.; Schroeder, C. B.; Isono, F.; Tsai, H.-E.; Geddes, C. G. R.; Leemans, W. P.

2018-05-01

Electrically discharged active plasma lenses (APLs) are actively pursued in compact high-brightness plasma-based accelerators due to their high-gradient, tunable, and radially symmetric focusing properties. In this manuscript, the APL is experimentally compared with a conventional quadrupole triplet, highlighting the favorable reduction in the energy dependence (chromaticity) in the transport line. Through transport simulations, it is explored how the non-uniform radial discharge current distribution leads to beam-integrated emittance degradation and a charge density reduction at focus. However, positioning an aperture at the APL entrance will significantly reduce emittance degradation without additional loss of charge in the high-quality core of the beam. An analytical model is presented that estimates the emittance degradation from a short beam driving a longitudinally varying wakefield in the APL. Optimizing laser plasma accelerator operation is discussed where emittance degradation from the non-uniform discharge current (favoring small beams inside the APL) and wakefield effects (favoring larger beam sizes) is minimized.

Plasma and BIAS Modeling: Self-Consistent Electrostatic Particle-in-Cell with Low-Density Argon Plasma for TiC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jürgen Geiser

2011-01-01

processes. In this paper we present a new model taken into account a self-consistent electrostatic-particle in cell model with low density Argon plasma. The collision model are based of Monte Carlo simulations is discussed for DC sputtering in lower pressure regimes. In order to simulate transport phenomena within sputtering processes realistically, a spatial and temporal knowledge of the plasma density and electrostatic field configuration is needed. Due to relatively low plasma densities, continuum fluid equations are not applicable. We propose instead a Particle-in-cell (PIC method, which allows the study of plasma behavior by computing the trajectories of finite-size particles under the action of an external and self-consistent electric field defined in a grid of points.

Transport simulations TFTR: Theoretically-based transport models and current scaling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Redi, M.H.; Cummings, J.C.; Bush, C.E.; Fredrickson, E.; Grek, B.; Hahm, T.S.; Hill, K.W.; Johnson, D.W.; Mansfield, D.K.; Park, H.; Scott, S.D.; Stratton, B.C.; Synakowski, E.J.; Tang, W.M.; Taylor, G.

1991-12-01

In order to study the microscopic physics underlying observed L-mode current scaling, 1-1/2-d BALDUR has been used to simulate density and temperature profiles for high and low current, neutral beam heated discharges on TFTR with several semi-empirical, theoretically-based models previously compared for TFTR, including several versions of trapped electron drift wave driven transport. Experiments at TFTR, JET and D3-D show that I p scaling of τ E does not arise from edge modes as previously thought, and is most likely to arise from nonlocal processes or from the I p -dependence of local plasma core transport. Consistent with this, it is found that strong current scaling does not arise from any of several edge models of resistive ballooning. Simulations with the profile consistent drift wave model and with a new model for toroidal collisionless trapped electron mode core transport in a multimode formalism, lead to strong current scaling of τ E for the L-mode cases on TFTR. None of the theoretically-based models succeeded in simulating the measured temperature and density profiles for both high and low current experiments

Heat transport modelling in EXTRAP T2R

Science.gov (United States)

Frassinetti, L.; Brunsell, P. R.; Cecconello, M.; Drake, J. R.

2009-02-01

A model to estimate the heat transport in the EXTRAP T2R reversed field pinch (RFP) is described. The model, based on experimental and theoretical results, divides the RFP electron heat diffusivity χe into three regions, one in the plasma core, where χe is assumed to be determined by the tearing modes, one located around the reversal radius, where χe is assumed not dependent on the magnetic fluctuations and one in the extreme edge, where high χe is assumed. The absolute values of the core and of the reversal χe are determined by simulating the electron temperature and the soft x-ray and by comparing the simulated signals with the experimental ones. The model is used to estimate the heat diffusivity and the energy confinement time during the flat top of standard plasmas, of deep F plasmas and of plasmas obtained with the intelligent shell.

Energy confinement and transport of H-mode plasmas in tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urano, Hajime

2005-02-01

A characteristic feature of the high-confinement (H-mode) regime is the formation of a transport barrier near the plasma edge, where steepening of the density and temperature gradients is observed. The H-mode is expected to be a standard operation mode in a next-step fusion experimental reactor, called ITER-the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. However, energy confinement in the H-mode has been observed to degrade with increasing density. This is a critical constraint for the operation domain in the ITER. Investigation of the main cause of confinement degradation is an urgent issue in the ITER Physics Research and Development Activity. A key element for solving this problem is investigation of the energy confinement and transport properties of H-mode plasmas. However, the influence of the plasma boundary characterized by the transport barrier in H-modes on the energy transport of the plasma core has not been examined sufficiently in tokamak research. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate the energy confinement properties of H-modes in a variety of density, plasma shape, seed impurity concentration, and conductive heat flux in the plasma core using the experimental results obtained in the JT-60U tokamak of Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. Comparison of the H-mode confinement properties with those of other tokamaks using an international multi-machine database for extrapolation to the next step device was also one of the main subjects in this study. Density dependence of the energy confinement properties has been examined systematically by separating the thermal stored energy into the H-mode pedestal component determined by MHD stability called the Edge Localized Modes (ELMs) and the core component governed by gyro-Bohm-like transport. It has been found that the pedestal pressure imposed by the destabilization of ELM activities led to a reduction in the pedestal temperature with increasing density. The core temperature for each

Particle Transport in ECRH Plasmas of the TJ-II; Transporte de Particulas en Plasmas ECRH del TJ-II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vargas, V. I.; Lopez-Bruna, D.; Estrada, T.; Guasp, J.; Reynolds, J. M.; Velasco, J. L.; Herranz, J.

2007-07-01

We present a systematic study of particle transport in ECRH plasmas of TJ-II with different densities. The goal is to fi nd particle confinement time and electron diffusivity dependence with line-averaged density. The experimental information consists of electron temperature profiles, T{sub e} (Thomson Scattering TS) and electron density, n{sub e}, (TS and reflectometry) and measured puffing data in stationary discharges. The profile of the electron source, Se, was obtained by the 3D Monte-Carlo code EIRENE. The analysis of particle balance has been done by linking the results of the code EIRENE with the results of a model that reproduces ECRH plasmas in stationary conditions. In the range of densities studied (0.58 {<=}n{sub e}> (10{sup 1}9m{sup -}3) {<=}0.80) there are two regions of confinement separated by a threshold density, {approx}0.65 10{sup 1}9m{sup -}3. Below this threshold density the particle confinement time is low, and vice versa. This is reflected in the effective diffusivity, D{sub e}, which in the range of validity of this study, 0.5 <{rho}<0.9 being {rho} normalized plasma radius, decreased significantly above the threshold density. The profiles of D{sub e} are flat for {>=}0,63(10{sup 1}9m{sup -}3). (Author) 35 refs.

Effect of density control and impurity transport on internal transport barrier formation in tokamak plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamakami, Tomoyuki; Fujita, Takaaki; Arimoto, Hideki; Yamazaki, Kozo

2014-01-01

In future fusion reactors, density control, such as fueling by pellet injection, is an effective method to control the formation of the internal transport barrier (ITB) in reversed magnetic shear plasma, which can improve plasma performance. On the other hand, an operation with ITB can cause accumulation of impurities inside the core ITB region. We studied the relation between pellet injection and ITB formation and the effect of impurity transport on the core of ITB for tokamak plasmas by using the toroidal transport analysis linkage. For ITB formation, we showed that the pellet has to be injected beyond the position where the safety factor q takes the minimum value. We confirmed that the accumulation of impurities causes the attenuation of ITB owing to radiation loss inside the ITB region. Moreover, in terms of the divertor heat flux reduction by impurity gas, the line radiation loss is high for high-Z noble gas impurities, such as Kr, whereas factor Q decreases slightly. (author)

Transport coefficients in Lorentz plasmas with the power-law kappa-distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiulin, Du

2013-01-01

Transport coefficients in Lorentz plasma with the power-law κ-distribution are studied by means of using the transport equation and macroscopic laws of Lorentz plasma without magnetic field. Expressions of electric conductivity, thermoelectric coefficient, and thermal conductivity for the power-law κ-distribution are accurately derived. It is shown that these transport coefficients are significantly modified by the κ-parameter, and in the limit of the parameter κ→∞ they are reduced to the standard forms for a Maxwellian distribution

Impurities in a non-axisymmetric plasma: Transport and effect on bootstrap current

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mollén, A., E-mail: albertm@chalmers.se [Department of Applied Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg (Sweden); Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, 17491 Greifswald (Germany); Landreman, M. [Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States); Smith, H. M.; Helander, P. [Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, 17491 Greifswald (Germany); Braun, S. [Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, 17491 Greifswald (Germany); German Aerospace Center, Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics, Pfaffenwaldring 38-40, D-70569 Stuttgart (Germany)

2015-11-15

Impurities cause radiation losses and plasma dilution, and in stellarator plasmas the neoclassical ambipolar radial electric field is often unfavorable for avoiding strong impurity peaking. In this work we use a new continuum drift-kinetic solver, the SFINCS code (the Stellarator Fokker-Planck Iterative Neoclassical Conservative Solver) [M. Landreman et al., Phys. Plasmas 21, 042503 (2014)] which employs the full linearized Fokker-Planck-Landau operator, to calculate neoclassical impurity transport coefficients for a Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) magnetic configuration. We compare SFINCS calculations with theoretical asymptotes in the high collisionality limit. We observe and explain a 1/ν-scaling of the inter-species radial transport coefficient at low collisionality, arising due to the field term in the inter-species collision operator, and which is not found with simplified collision models even when momentum correction is applied. However, this type of scaling disappears if a radial electric field is present. We also use SFINCS to analyze how the impurity content affects the neoclassical impurity dynamics and the bootstrap current. We show that a change in plasma effective charge Z{sub eff} of order unity can affect the bootstrap current enough to cause a deviation in the divertor strike point locations.

Comparison of transient electron heat transport in LHD helical and JT-60U tokamak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inagaki, S.; Ida, K.; Tamura, N.; Shimozuma, T.; Kubo, S.; Nagayama, Y.; Kawahata, K.; Sudo, S.; Ohkubo, K.; Takenaga, H.; Isayama, A.; Takizuka, T.; Kamada, Y.; Miura, Y.

2005-01-01

Transient transport experiments are performed in plasmas with and without Internal Transport Barrier (ITB) on LHD and JT-60U. The dependence of χ e on electron temperature, T e , and electron temperature gradient, ∇T e , is analyzed by an empirical non-linear heat transport model. In plasmas without ITB, two different types of non-linearity of the electron heat transport are observed from cold/heat pulse propagation. The χ e depends on T e and ∇T e in JT-60U, while the ∇T e dependence is weak in LHD. Inside the ITB region, there is no or weak ∇T e dependence both in LHD and JT-60U. A cold pulse growing driven by the negative T e dependence of χ e is observed inside the ITB region (LHD) and near the boundary of the ITB region (JT-60U). (author)

Transition phenomena and thermal transport property in LHD plasmas with an electron internal transport barrier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimozuma, T.; Kubo, S.; Idei, H.

2005-01-01

Two kinds of improved core confinement were observed during centrally focused Electron Cyclotron Heating (ECH) into plasmas sustained by Counter (CNTR) and Co Neutral Beam Injections (NBI) in the Large Helical Device (LHD). One shows transition phenomena to the high-electron-temperature state and has a clear electron Internal Transport Barrier (eITB) in CNTR NBI plasma. Another has no clear transition and no ECH power threshold, but shows a broad high temperature profiles with moderate temperature gradient, which indicates the improved core confinement with additional ECH in Co NBI plasma. The electron heat transport characteristics of these plasmas were directly investigated by using the heat pulse propagation excited by Modulated ECH (MECH). The difference of the features could be caused by the existence of the m/n=2/1 rational surface or island determined by the direction of NBI beam-driven current. (author)

Intrinsic Rotation and Momentum Transport in Reversed Shear Plasmas with Internal Transport Barriers

Science.gov (United States)

Jhang, Hogun; Kim, S. S.; Diamond, P. H.

2010-11-01

The intrinsic rotation in fusion plasmas is believed to be generated via the residual stress without external momentum input. The physical mechanism responsible for the generation and transport of intrinsic rotation in L- and H-mode tokamak plasmas has been studied extensively. However, it is noted that the physics of intrinsic rotation generation and its relationship to the formation of internal transport barriers (ITBs) in reversed shear (RS) tokamak plasmas have not been explored in detail, which is the main subject in the present work. A global gyrofluid code TRB is used for this study. It is found that the large intrinsic rotation (˜10-30% of the ion sound speed depending on ITB characteristics) is generated near the ITB region and propagates into the core. The intrinsic rotation increases linearly as the temperature gradient at ITB position increases, albeit not indefinitely. Key parameters related to the symmetry breaking, such as turbulent intensity and its gradient, the flux surface averaged parallel wavenumber are evaluated dynamically during the ITB formation. The role of reversed shear and the q-profile curvature is presented in relation to the symmetry breaking mechanism in RS plasmas.

Transport Studies in Alcator C-Mod ITB Plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Fiore, C. L.; Bonoli, P. T.; Ernst, D.; Greenwald, M. J.; Ince-Cushman, A.; Lin, L.; Marmar, E. S.; Porkolab, M.; Rice, J. E.; Wukitch, S.; Rowan, W.; Bespamyatnov, I.; Phillips, P.

2008-11-01

Internal transport barriers occur in C-Mod plasmas that have off-axis ICRF heating and also in Ohmic H-mode plasmas. These ITBs are marked by highly peaked density and pressure profiles, as they rely on a reduction of particle and thermal flux in the barrier region which allows the neoclassical pinch to peak the central density without reducing the central temperature. Enhancement of several core diagnostics has resulted in increased understanding of C-Mod ITBs. Ion temperature profile measurements have been obtained using an innovative design for x-ray crystal spectrometry and clearly show a barrier forming in the ion temperature profile. The phase contrast imaging (PCI) provides limited localization of the ITB related fluctuations that increase in strength as the central density increases. Simulation of triggering conditions, integrated simulations with fluctuation measurements, parametric studies, and transport implications of fully ionized boron impurity profiles in the plasma are under study. A summary of these results will be presented.

PELLET: a computer routine for modeling pellet fueling in tokamak plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Houlberg, W.A.; Iskra, M.A.; Howe, H.C.; Attenberger, S.E.

1979-01-01

Recent experimental results of frozen hydrogenic pellet injection into hot tokamak plasmas and substantial agreement with theoretical predictions have led to a much greater interest in pellets as a means of refueling plasmas. The computer routine PELLET has been developed and used as an aid in assessing pellet ablation models and the effects of pellets on plasma behavior. PELLET provides particle source profiles under various options for the ablation model and can be coupled either to a fluid transport code or to a brief routine which supplies the required input parameters

Transport in a fusion plasma in presence of a chaotic magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, F.

1992-09-01

In the tokamak Tore Supra, the magnetic field ensuring the confinement is stochastic at the plasma edge due to a resonant perturbation. This perturbation is created by a set of six helicoidal coils inside the vacuum vessel, the ergodic divertor. The first part of the study concerns the analysis of the transport of particles and energy in a fusion plasma in presence of a stochastic magnetic field, without physical wall. The effective transport of electrons, i.e. heat transport, increases. The ions transport increases too but less than heat transport. The discrepancy produces a mean radial electric field. The second part is devoted to the influence of the physical wall. The topology of the magnetic connexion on the wall is precisely determined with the code Mastoc. The transport of particles and energy is then described from the confined plasma until the wall. This study enlights severals important observations of the experience Tore Supra in the ergodic divertor configuration: the spreading of the power deposition on the wall components without anomalous concentration, the robustness of this configuration relatively to misalignment, the edge structures visible in H α light during plasma reattachment. In order to study the transport of impurity ions, a variational approach of minimum entropy production has been developped. This principle is applied to the calculation of the neoclassical diffusion of impurity ions with the radial electric field. This electric field deconfines ions if the pressure profile is not balanced by a Lorentz force, i.e. if the plasma is locked in rotation, poloidally and toroidally, because of magnetic perturbation or friction force

Inward transport of a toroidally confined plasma subject to strong radial electric fields

Science.gov (United States)

Roth, J. R.; Krawczonek, W. M.; Powers, E. J.; Hong, J.; Kim, Y.

1977-01-01

The paper aims at showing that the density and confinement time of a toroidal plasma can be enhanced by radial electric fields far stronger than the ambipolar values, and that, if such electric fields point into the plasma, radially inward transport can result. The investigation deals with low-frequency fluctuation-induced transport using digitally implemented spectral analysis techniques and with the role of strong applied radial electric fields and weak vertical magnetic fields on plasma density and particle confinement times in a Bumpy Torus geometry. Results indicate that application of sufficiently strong radially inward electric fields results in radially inward fluctuation-induced transport into the toroidal electrostatic potential well; this inward transport gives rise to higher average electron densities and longer particle confinement times in the toroidal plasma.

Application of diffusion theory to neutral atom transport in fusion plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasan, M.Z.; Conn, R.W.; Pomraning, G.C.

1987-01-01

It is found that the energy dependent diffusion theory provides excellent accuracy in the modelling of transport of neutral atoms in fusion plasmas. Two reasons in particular explain the good accuracy. First, while the plasma is optically thick for low energy neutrals, it is optically thin for high energy neutrals and the diffusion theory with Marshak boundary conditions gives accurate results for an optically thin medium, even for small values of c, the ratio of the scattering cross-section to the total cross-section. Second, the effective value of c at low energy is very close to 1 because of the downscattering via collisions of high energy neutrals. The first reason is proven computationally and theoretically by solving the transport equation in a power series in c and solving the diffusion equation with 'general' Marshak boundary conditions. The second reason is established numerically by comparing the results from a one-dimensional, general geometry, multigroup diffusion theory code, written for this purpose, with the results obtained using the transport code ANISN. Earlier studies comparing one-speed diffusion and transport theory indicated that the diffusion theory would be inaccurate. A detailed analysis shows that this conclusion is limited to a very specific case. Surprisingly, for a very wide range of conditions and when energy dependence is included, the diffusion theory is highly accurate. (author)

Three-dimensional plasma transport in open chaotic magnetic fields. A computational assessment for tokamak edge layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frerichs, Heinke Gerd

2010-04-01

The development of nuclear fusion as an alternative energy source requires the research on magnetically confined, high temperature plasmas. In particular, the quantification of plasma flows in the domain near exposed material surfaces of the plasma container by computer simulations is of key importance, both for guiding interpretation of present fusion experiments and for aiding the ongoing design activities for large future devices such as ITER, W7-X or the DEMO reactor. There is a large number of computational issues related to the physics of hot, fully ionized and magnetized plasmas near surfaces of the vacuum chamber. This thesis is dedicated to one particular such challenge, namely the numerical quantification of self-consistent kinetic neutral gas and plasma fluid flows in very complex 3D (partially chaotic) magnetic fields, in the absence of any common symmetries for plasma and neutral gas dynamics. Such magnetic field configurations are e.g. generated by externally applied magnetic perturbations at the plasma edge, and are of great interest for the control of particle and energy exhausts. In the present thesis the 3D edge plasma and neutral particle transport code EMC3-EIRENE is applied to two distinct configurations of open chaotic magnetic system: at the TEXTOR and DIII-D tokamaks. Improvements of the edge transport model and extensions of the transport code are presented, which have allowed such simulations for the first time for 3D scenarios at DIII-D with ITER similar plasmas. A strong 3D effect of the chaotic magnetic field on the DIII-D edge plasma is found and analyzed in detail. It is found that a pronounced striation pattern of target particle and heat fluxes at DIII-D can only be obtained up to a certain upper limiting level of anomalous cross-field transport. Hence, in comparison to experimental data, these findings allow to narrow down the range of this model parameter. One particular interest at TEXTOR is the achievement of a regime with

Heating and transport in TFTR D-T plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zarnstorff, M.C.; Scott, S.D.

1994-01-01

The confinement and heating of supershot plasmas are significantly enhanced with tritium beam injection relative to deuterium injection in TFTR. The global energy confinement and local thermal transport are analyzed for deuterium and tritium fueled plasmas to quantify their dependence on the average mass of the hydrogenic ions. The radial profiles of the deuterium and tritium densities are determined from the DT fusion neutron emission profile

Transport and containment of plasma, particles and energy within flares

Science.gov (United States)

Acton, L. W.; Brown, W. A.; Bruner, M. E. C.; Haisch, B. M.; Strong, K. T.

1983-01-01

Results from the analysis of flares observed by the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) and a recent rocket experiment are discussed. Evidence for primary energy release in the corona through the interaction of magnetic structures, particle and plasma transport into more than a single magnetic structure at the time of a flare and a complex and changing magnetic topology during the course of a flare is found. The rocket data are examined for constraints on flare cooling, within the context of simple loop models. These results form a basis for comments on the limitations of simple loop models for flares.

Streaked spectrometry using multilayer x-ray-interference mirrors to investigate energy transport in laser-plasma applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stradling, G.L.; Barbee, T.W. Jr.; Henke, B.L.; Campbell, E.M.; Mead, W.C.

1981-08-01

Transport of energy in laser-produced plasmas is scrutinized by devising spectrally and temporally identifiable characteristics in the x-ray emission history which identify the heat-front position at various times in the heating process. Measurements of the relative turn-on times of these characteristics show the rate of energy transport between various points. These measurements can in turn constrain models of energy transport phenomena. We are time-resolving spectrally distinguishable subkilovolt x-ray emissions from different layers of a disk target to examine the transport rate of energy into the target. A similar technique is used to measure the lateral expansion rate of the plasma spot. A soft x-ray streak camera with 15-psec temporal resolution is used to make the temporal measurements. Spectral discrimination of the incident signal is provided by multilayer x-ray interference mirrors

Simplified models for radiational losses calculating a tokamak plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arutiunov, A.B.; Krasheninnikov, S.I.; Prokhorov, D.Yu.

1990-01-01

To determine the magnitudes and profiles of radiational losses in a Tokamak plasma, particularly for high plasma densities, when formation of MARFE or detached-plasma takes place, it is necessary to know impurity distribution over the ionization states. Equations describing time evolution of this distribution are rather cumbersome, besides that, transport coefficients as well as rate constants of the processes involving complex ions are known nowadays with high degree of uncertainty, thus it is believed necessary to develop simplified, half-analytical models describing time evolution of the impurities analysis of physical processes taking place in a Tokamak plasma on the base of the experimental data. (author) 6 refs., 2 figs

3-Dimensional Modeling of Capacitively and Inductively Coupled Plasma Etching Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Rauf, Shahid

2008-10-01

Low temperature plasmas are widely used for thin film etching during micro and nano-electronic device fabrication. Fluid and hybrid plasma models were developed 15-20 years ago to understand the fundamentals of these plasmas and plasma etching. These models have significantly evolved since then, and are now a major tool used for new plasma hardware design and problem resolution. Plasma etching is a complex physical phenomenon, where inter-coupled plasma, electromagnetic, fluid dynamics, and thermal effects all have a major influence. The next frontier in the evolution of fluid-based plasma models is where these models are able to self-consistently treat the inter-coupling of plasma physics with fluid dynamics, electromagnetics, heat transfer and magnetostatics. We describe one such model in this paper and illustrate its use in solving engineering problems of interest for next generation plasma etcher design. Our 3-dimensional plasma model includes the full set of Maxwell equations, transport equations for all charged and neutral species in the plasma, the Navier-Stokes equation for fluid flow, and Kirchhoff's equations for the lumped external circuit. This model also includes Monte Carlo based kinetic models for secondary electrons and stochastic heating, and can take account of plasma chemistry. This modeling formalism allows us to self-consistently treat the dynamics in commercial inductively and capacitively coupled plasma etching reactors with realistic plasma chemistries, magnetic fields, and reactor geometries. We are also able to investigate the influence of the distributed electromagnetic circuit at very high frequencies (VHF) on the plasma dynamics. The model is used to assess the impact of azimuthal asymmetries in plasma reactor design (e.g., off-center pump, 3D magnetic field, slit valve, flow restrictor) on plasma characteristics at frequencies from 2 -- 180 MHz. With Jason Kenney, Ankur Agarwal, Ajit Balakrishna, Kallol Bera, and Ken Collins.

Direct measurements of particle transport in dc glow discharge dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, E. Jr.

2001-01-01

Many recent experiments in dc glow discharge plasmas have shown that clouds of dust particles can be suspended near the biased electrodes. Once formed, the dust clouds have well defined boundaries while particle motion within the clouds can be quite complex. Because the dust particles in the cloud can remain suspended in the plasma for tens of minutes, it implies that the particles have a low diffusive loss rate and follow closed trajectories within the cloud. In the experiments discussed in this paper, direct measurements of the dust particle velocities are made using particle image velocimetry (PIV) techniques. From the velocity measurements, a reconstruction of the three-dimensional transport of the dust particles is performed. A qualitative model is developed for the closed motion of the dust particles in a dc glow discharge dusty plasma. (orig.)

Predictive modelling of the impact of argon injection on H-mode plasmas in JET with the RITM code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unterberg, B; Kalupin, D; Tokar', M Z; Corrigan, G; Dumortier, P; Huber, A; Jachmich, S; Kempenaars, M; Kreter, A; Messiaen, A M; Monier-Garbet, P; Ongena, J; Puiatti, M E; Valisa, M; Hellermann, M von

2004-01-01

Self-consistent modelling of energy and particle transport of the plasma background and impurities has been performed with the code RITM for argon seeded high density H-mode plasmas in JET. The code can reproduce both the profiles in the plasma core and the structure of the edge pedestal. The impact of argon on core transport is found to be small; in particular, no significant change in confinement is observed in both experimental and modelling results. The same transport model, which has been used to reproduce density peaking in the radiative improved mode in TEXTOR, reveals a flat density profile in Ar seeded JET H-mode plasmas in agreement with the experimental observations. This behaviour is attributed to the rather flat profile of the safety factor in the bulk of H-mode discharges