No Arabic abstract
Due to their high cross field mobility, neutral atoms can have a strong effect on transport even at the low relative densities found inside the separatrix. We use a charge-exchange dominated model for the neutrals, coupled to neoclassical ions, to calculate momentum transport when it is dominated by the neutrals. We can then calculate self-consistently the radial electric field and predict the intrinsic rotation in an otherwise torque-free plasma. Using a numerical solver for the ion distribution to allow arbitrary collisionality, we investigate the effects of inverse aspect ratio and elongation on plasma rotation. We also calculate the rotation of a trace carbon impurity, to facilitate future comparison to experiments using charge exchange recombination spectroscopy diagnostics.
Neutral atoms can strongly influence the intrinsic rotation and radial electric field at the tokamak edge. Here, we present a framework to investigate these effects when the neutrals dominate the momentum transport. We explore the parameter space numerically, using highly flexible model geometries and a state of the art kinetic solver. We find that the most important parameters controlling the toroidal rotation and electric field are the major radius where the neutrals are localized and the plasma collisionality. This offers a means to influence the rotation and electric field by, for example, varying the radial position of the X-point to change the major radius of the neutral peak.
Due to their high cross-field mobility, neutrals can contribute to momentum transport even at the low relative densities found inside the separatrix and they can generate intrinsic rotation. We use a charge-exchange dominated solution to the neutral kinetic equation, coupled to neoclassical ions, to evaluate the momentum transport due to neutrals. Numerical solutions to the drift-kinetic equation allow us to cover the full range of collisionality, including the intermediate levels typical of the tokamak edge. In the edge there are several processes likely to contribute to momentum transport in addition to neutrals. Therefore, we present here an interpretive framework that can evaluate the momentum transport through neutrals based on radial plasma profiles. We demonstrate its application by analysing the neutral angular momentum flux for an L-mode discharge in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak. The magnitudes of the angular momentum fluxes we find here due to neutrals of up to $1{-}2;mathrm{N, m}$ are comparable to the net torque on the plasma from neutral beam injection, indicating the importance of neutrals for rotation in the edge.
We present Aurora, an open-source package for particle transport, neutrals and radiation modeling in magnetic confinement fusion plasmas. Auroras modern multi-language interface enables simulations of 1.5D impurity transport within high-performance computing frameworks, particularly for the inference of particle transport coefficients. A user-friendly Python library allows simple interaction with atomic rates from the Atomic Data and Atomic Structure database as well as other sources. This enables a range of radiation predictions, both for power balance and spectroscopic analysis. We discuss here the superstaging approximation for complex ions, as a way to group charge states and reduce computational cost, demonstrating its wide applicability within the Aurora forward model and beyond. Aurora also facilitates neutral particle analysis, both from experimental spectroscopic data and other simulation codes. Leveraging Auroras capabilities to interface SOLPS-ITER results, we demonstrate that charge exchange is unlikely to affect the total radiated power from the ITER core during high performance operation. Finally, we describe the ImpRad module in the OMFIT framework, developed to enable experimental analysis and transport inferences on multiple devices using Aurora.
Understanding of the transport in a Tokamak plasma is an important issue. Various mechanisms have been reported in the literature to relate the core phenomenon to edge phenomenon. Sawtooth and Mirnov oscillations caused by MHD instabilities are generally observed in Tokamak discharges. Observation of these effects in the visible radiation from outer edge may offer a possible means to understand the transport.Oscillations in the visible radiation from outer region of the plasma have been observed during recent Aditya discharges. Percentage modulation of these oscillations vary with the Lines of Sight (LOS) of the chords and surfaces on which they terminate. This has been found in both the low frequency (~1 kHz) oscillations that seem to correlate with sawteething in SXR signals and the higher frequency (~10 kHz) oscillations that correlate well with Mirnov signals indicative of m/n=2/1 mode rotation. This suggests that the extent to which the MHD instabilities in the central region of the plasma column are reflected in the edge radiation depends on the interaction of the plasma with the surface at the extremity of the LOS. The release of particle/ energy accompanying the MHD instabilities leads to a large influx of particles from such surfaces. Cross-bispectral analysis suggests that a mode (having frequency of ~20 kHz) is also generated due to the interaction of m/n=1/1 (~10 kHz, seen in SXR) and m/n=2/1 (~10 kHz, seen in Mirnov, Visible & Microwave Interferometer signals). By possible selection rules, this mode seems to be a m/n=3/2 mode. This mode is seen in Mirnov, Visible & Interferometer signals. Behaviour of these oscillations on various LOS and their relation to SXR&Mirnov signals can lead to an understanding of the transport phenomenon. These observations and our interpretations will be presented.
The theory of turbulent transport of parallel ion momentum and heat by the interaction of stochastic magnetic fields and turbulence is presented. Attention is focused on determining the kinetic stress and the compressive energy flux. A critical parameter is identified as the ratio of the turbulent scattering rate to the rate of parallel acoustic dispersion. For the parameter large, the kinetic stress takes the form of a viscous stress. For the parameter small, the quasilinear residual stress is recovered. In practice, the viscous stress is the relevant form, and the quasilinear limit is not observable. This is the principal prediction of this paper. A simple physical picture is developed and shown to recover the results of the detailed analysis.