Self-acceleration of a tokamak plasma during ohmic H mode

Transport of parallel momentum induced by current-symmetry breaking in toroidal plasmas

The symmetry of a physical system strongly impacts on its properties. In toroidal plasmas, the symmetry along a magnetic field line usually constrains the radial flux of parallel momentum to zero in the absence of background flows. By breaking the up-down symmetry of the toroidal currents, this constraint can be relaxed. The parallel asymmetry in the magnetic configuration then leads to an incomplete cancellation of the turbulent momentum flux across a flux surface. The magnitude of the subsequent toroidal rotation increases with the up-down asymmetry and its sign depends on the direction of the toroidal magnetic field and plasma current. Such a mechanism offers new insights in the interpretation and control of the intrinsic toroidal rotation in present day experiments.

Toroidal momentum pinch velocity due to the coriolis drift effect on small scale instabilities in a toroidal plasma

In this Letter, the influence of the "Coriolis drift" on small scale instabilities in toroidal plasmas is shown to generate a toroidal momentum pinch velocity. Such a pinch results because the Coriolis drift generates a coupling between the density and temperature perturbations on the one hand and the perturbed parallel flow velocity on the other. A simple fluid model is used to highlight the physics mechanism and gyro-kinetic calculations are performed to accurately assess the magnitude of the pinch. The derived pinch velocity leads to a radial gradient of the toroidal velocity profile even in the absence of a torque on the plasma and is predicted to generate a peaking of the toroidal velocity profile similar to the peaking of the density profile. Finally, the pinch also affects the interpretation of current experiments.

Shear flows at the tokamak edge and their role in core rotation and the L-H transition

Pfirsch-Schlüter fluxes in tokamaks are shown to drive strong poloidal and toroidal shear flows that are localized to the edge and scrape-off layer in the presence of temperature gradients and finite bootstrap current in the pedestal. Within a magnetohydrodynamic model, the effect of these flows on core rotation and their role in the magnetic configuration dependence of the power threshold for the low- (L-) to high- (H-)mode transition are discussed. Theoretical predictions based on symmetries of the underlying equations, coupled with computational results, are found to be in general agreement with observations in the Alcator C-Mod tokamak [Phys. Plasmas 12, 056111 (2005)10.1063/1.1876294].

Observation of spontaneous toroidal rotation inversion in Ohmically heated Tokamak plasmas

Bulk plasma toroidal rotation is observed to invert spontaneously from counter to cocurrent direction in TCV (Tokamak à Configuration Variable) Ohmically heated discharges, in low confinement mode, without momentum input. The inversion occurs in high current discharges, when the plasma electron density exceeds a well-defined threshold. The transition between the two rotational regimes has been studied by means of density ramps. The results provide evidence of a change of the balance of nondiffusive momentum fluxes in the core of a plasma without an external drive.

Observation of anomalous momentum transport in tokamak plasmas with no momentum input

Anomalous momentum transport has been observed in Alcator C-Mod tokamak plasmas through analysis of the time evolution of core impurity toroidal rotation velocity profiles. Following the L-mode to EDA (enhanced D(alpha)) H-mode transition, the ensuing cocurrent toroidal rotation velocity, which is generated in the absence of any external momentum source, is observed to propagate in from the edge plasma to the core. The steady state toroidal rotation velocity profiles are relatively flat and the momentum transport can be simulated with a simple diffusion model. Velocity profiles during edge localized mode free (ELM-free) H-modes are centrally peaked, which suggests the addition of inward momentum convection. In all operating regimes the observed momentum diffusivities are much larger than the neoclassical values.

Experimental and theoretical study of quasicoherent fluctuations in enhanced D(alpha) plasmas in the Alcator C-Mod tokamak

A comparison of experimental measurements and theoretical studies of the quasicoherent (QC) mode, observed at high densities during enhanced D(alpha) (EDA) H mode in the Alcator C-Mod tokamak, are reported. The QC mode is a high frequency ( approximately 100 kHz) nearly sinusoidal fluctuation in density and magnetic field, localized in the steep density gradient ("pedestal") at the plasma edge, with typical wave numbers k(R) approximately 3-6 cm(-1), k(theta) approximately 1.3 cm(-1) (midplane). It is proposed here that the QC mode is a form of resistive ballooning mode known as the resistive X-point mode, in reasonable agreement with predictions by the BOUT (boundary-plasma turbulence) code.

Theory for toroidal momentum pinch and flow reversal in tokamaks

It is demonstrated that besides the well-known toroidal momentum diffusion flux there is a pinchlike flux in the fluctuation-induced toroidal stress. A toroidal flow profile is determined up to a constant, e.g., the value of the flow at the magnetic axis, by balancing these two fluxes. The remaining residual toroidal stress determines the value of the flow at the axis. It is illustrated that the direction of the flow at the axis can change after plasma confinement is improved. The theory is applied to explain the toroidal flow reversal in tokamak experiments.