Direct Numerical Simulations of Nonlinear Evolution of MHD Instability in LHD.

Nonlinear evolutions of MHD instabilities in the large helical device are studied by means of direct numerical simulations under the vacuum configuration with the magnetic axis position R = 3.6m, including effects of its full three-dimensional geometry, flows parallel to the magnetic field lines and the fluid compressibility. The linear growth of the pressure-driven modes and their nonlinear saturations are observed. The linear growth brings about the flows parallel to the magnetic field lines as strong as the perpendicular flows. The fluid compressibility reduces the linear growth rate significantly. In the nonlinear saturation process, a qualitative difference is found in the behaviors of the parallel and perpendicular flows. The plasma appears to approach to a near-equilibrium state, keeping finite amplitudes of the parallel flow. Our numerical results highlight important roles of the parallel flow and compressibility in nonlinear MHD simulations in the large helical device. © 2006 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]