Theoretical and Global Simulation Analysis of Collisional Microtearing

This study delves into Microtearing Modes (MTMs) in tokamak plasmas, employing advanced simulations within the BOUT++ framework. The research, centering on collisional MTMs influenced by the time-dependent thermal force, enhances our understanding of plasma dynamics. It achieves this through the simplification and linearization of control equations in detailed linear simulations. The study meticulously evaluates various conductivity models, including those proposed by Larakers, Drake, and Hassam, under diverse plasma conditions and collision regimes. A notable achievement of this research is the derivation of a unified dispersion relation that encompasses both MTM and Drift-Alfven Wave (DAW) instabilities. It interestingly reveals that DAW and MTM exhibit instability at different proximities to the rational surface. Specifically, MTMs become unstable near the rational surface but stabilize farther away, whereas the drift-Alfven instability manifests away from the rational surface. Further, the study re-derives MTM dispersion relations based on Ohm's law and the vorticity equation, providing a thorough analysis of electromagnetic and electrostatic interactions in tokamaks. Global simulations demonstrate an inverse correlation between MTM growth rates and collisionality, and a direct correlation with temperature gradients. The nonalignment of the rational surface with the peak of electron local diamagnetic frequency stabilizes the MTMs. Nonlinear simulations highlight electron temperature relaxation as the primary saturation mechanism for MTMs, with magnetic flutter identified as the dominant mode of electron thermal transport.
Comment: 31 pages, 13 figures