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Intrinsic rotation driven by turbulent acceleration

Intrinsic rotation driven by turbulent acceleration

Authors :
Barnes, Michael
Parra, Felix I.
Publication Year :
2018

Abstract

Differential rotation is induced in tokamak plasmas when an underlying symmetry of the governing gyrokinetic-Maxwell system of equations is broken. One such symmetry-breaking mechanism is considered here: the turbulent acceleration of particles along the mean magnetic field. This effect, often referred to as the `parallel nonlinearity', has been implemented in the $\delta f$ gyrokinetic code $\texttt{stella}$ and used to study the dependence of turbulent momentum transport on the plasma size and on the strength of the turbulence drive. For JET-like parameters with a wide range of driving temperature gradients, the momentum transport induced by the inclusion of turbulent acceleration is similar to or smaller than the ratio of the ion Larmor radius to the plasma minor radius. This low level of momentum transport is explained by demonstrating an additional symmetry that prohibits momentum transport when the turbulence is driven far above marginal stability.<br />Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, updated to reflect published version + additional references that were initially overlooked

Subjects

Subjects :
Physics - Plasma Physics

Details

Database :
arXiv
Publication Type :
Report
Accession number :
edsarx.1808.01429
Document Type :
Working Paper
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6587/aaeb69