The electromagnetic theory of the strongly driven ion-temperature-gradient (ITG) instability in magnetically confined toroidal plasmas is developed. Stabilizing and destabilizing effects are identified, and a critical $beta_{e}$ (the ratio of the ele
ctron to magnetic pressure) for stabilization of the toroidal branch of the mode is calculated for magnetic equilibria independent of the coordinate along the magnetic field. Its scaling is $beta_{e}sim L_{Te}/R,$ where $L_{Te}$ is the characteristic electron temperature gradient length, and $R$ the major radius of the torus. We conjecture that a fast particle population can cause a similar stabilization due to its contribution to the equilibrium pressure gradient. For sheared equilibria, the boundary of marginal stability of the electromagnetic correction to the electrostatic mode is also given. For a general magnetic equilibrium, we find a critical length (for electromagnetic stabilization) of the extent of the unfavourable curvature along the magnetic field. This is a decreasing function of the local magnetic shear.
The role of anisotropic thermal diffusivity on tearing mode stability is analysed in general toroidal geometry. A dispersion relation linking the growth rate to the tearing mode stability parameter, Delta, is derived. By using a resistive MHD code, m
odified to include such thermal transport, to calculate tearing mode growth rates, the dispersion relation is employed to determine Delta in situations with finite plasma pressure that are stabilised by favourable average curvature in a simple resistive MHD model. We also demonstrate that the same code can also be used to calculate the basis-functions [C J Ham, et al, Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 54 (2012) 105014] needed to construct Delta.
The global ideal kink equation, for cylindrical geometry and zero beta, is simplified in the high poloidal mode number limit and used to determine the tearing stability parameter, $Delta^prime$. In the presence of a steep monotonic current gradient,
$Delta^prime$ becomes a function of a parameter, $sigma_0$, characterising the ratio of the maximum current gradient to magnetic shear, and $x_s$, characterising the separation of the resonant surface from the maximum of the current gradient. In equilibria containing a current spike, so that there is a non-monotonic current profile, $Delta^prime$ also depends on two parameters: $kappa$, related to the ratio of the curvature of the current density at its maximum to the magnetic shear, and $x_s$, which now represents the separation of the resonance from the point of maximum current density. The relation of our results to earlier studies of tearing modes and to recent gyro-kinetic calculations of current driven instabilities, is discussed, together with potential implications for the stability of the tokamak pedestal.
Calculations of tearing mode stability in tokamaks split conveniently into an external region, where marginally stable ideal MHD is applicable, and a resonant layer around the rational surface where sophisticated kinetic physics is needed. These two
regions are coupled by the stability parameter. Pressure and current perturbations localized around the rational surface alter the stability of tearing modes. Equations governing the changes in the external solution and - are derived for arbitrary perturbations in axisymmetric toroidal geometry. The relationship of - with and without pressure flattening is obtained analytically for four pressure flattening functions. Resistive MHD codes do not contain the appropriate layer physics and therefore cannot predict stability directly. They can, however, be used to calculate -. Existing methods (Ham et al. 2012 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 54 025009) for extracting - from resistive codes are unsatisfactory when there is a finite pressure gradient at the rational surface and favourable average curvature because of the Glasser stabilizing effect. To overcome this difficulty we introduce a specific pressure flattening function that allows the earlier approach to be used. The technique is first tested numerically in cylindrical geometry with an artificial favourable curvature. Its application to toroidal geometry is then demonstrated using the toroidal tokamak tearing mode stability code T7 (Fitzpatrick et al. 1993 Nucl. Fusion 33 1533) which uses an approximate analytic equilibrium. The prospects for applying this approach to resistive MHD codes such as MARS-F (Liu et al. 2000 Phys. Plasmas 7 3681) which utilize a fully toroidal equilibrium are discussed.
We discuss the role of neoclassical resistivity and local magnetic shear in the triggering of the sawtooth in tokamaks. When collisional detrapping of electrons is considered the value of the safety factor on axis, $q(0,t)$, evolves on a new time sca
le, $tau_{*}=tau_{eta} u_{*}/(8sqrt{epsilon})$, where $tau_{eta}=4pi a^{2}/[c^{2}eta(0)]$ is the resistive diffusion time, $ u_{*}= u_{e}/(epsilon^{3/2}omega_{te})$ the electron collision frequency normalised to the transit frequency and $epsilon=a/R_{0}$ the tokamak inverse aspect ratio. Such evolution is characterised by the formation of a structure of size $delta_{*}sim u_{*}^{2/3}a$ around the magnetic axis, which can drive rapid evolution of the magnetic shear and decrease of $q(0,t)$. We investigate two possible trigger mechanisms for a sawtooth collapse corresponding to crossing the linear threshold for the $m=1,n=1$ instability and non-linear triggering of this mode by a core resonant mode near the magnetic axis. The sawtooth period in each case is determined by the time for the resistive evolution of the $q$-profile to reach the relevant stability threshold; in the latter case it can be strongly affected by $ u_*.$
Kinetic treatments of drift-tearing modes that match an inner resonant layer solution to an external MHD region solution, characterised by $Delta^{prime}$, fail to properly match the ideal MHD boundary condition on the parallel electric field, $E_{pa
rallel}.$ In this paper we demonstrate how consideration of ion sound and ion Landau damping effects achieves this and place the theory on a firm footing. As a consequence, these effects contribute quite significantly to the critical value of $Delta^{prime}$ for instability of drift-tearing modes and play a key role in determining the minimum value for this threshold.
In large hot tokamaks like JET, the width of the reconnecting layer for resistive modes is determined by semi-collisional electron dynamics and is much less than the ion Larmor radius. Firstly a dispersion relation valid in this regime is derived whi
ch provides a unified description of drift-tearing modes, kinetic Alfven waves and the internal kink mode at low beta. Tearing mode stability is investigated analytically recovering the stabilising ion orbit effect, obtained previously by Cowley et al. [Phys. Fluids (29) 3230 1986], which implies large values of the tearing mode stability parameter Delta prime are required for instability. Secondly, at high beta it is shown that the tearing mode interacts with the kinetic Alfven wave and that there is an absolute stabilisation for all Delta prime due to the shielding effects of the electron temperature gradients, extending the result of Drake et. al [Phys. Fluids (26) 2509 1983] to large ion orbits. The nature of the transition between these two limits at finite values of beta is then elucidated. The low beta formalism is also relevant to the m=n=1 tearing mode and the dissipative internal kink mode, thus extending the work of Pegoraro et al. [Phys. Fluids B (1) 364 1989] to a more realistic electron model incorporating temperature perturbations, but then the smallness of the dissipative internal kink mode frequency is exploited to obtain a new dispersion relation valid at arbitrary beta. A diagram describing the stability of both the tearing mode and dissipative internal kink mode, in the space of Delta prime and beta, is obtained. The trajectory of the evolution of the current profile during a sawtooth period can be plotted in this diagram, providing a model for the triggering of a sawtooth crash.
