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(THP2/24) Analysis of IBW-Driven Plasma Flows in Tokamaks

L. A. Berry1), E. F. Jaeger1), E. F. D'Azevedo1), D. B. Batchelor1), J. A. Carlsson1), M. D. Carter1), R. Cesario2), AsOneFTU Team2)
 
1) Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States
2) Associazione EURATOM-ENEA sulla Fusione, Centro Ticerche Frascati, Frascati, Rome, Italy

Abstract.  Both theory and experiment have suggested that damping of Ion Bernstein Waves (IBWs) at ion cyclotron frequency harmonics could drive poloidal flows and lead to enhanced confinement for tokamaks. However, the early analyses were based on Reynolds stress closures of moment equations. More rigorous, finite Larmor radius (FLR) expansions of the radio frequency (RF) kinetic pressure for low harmonic interactions indicated that the Reynolds stress approximation was not generally valid, and resulted in significant changes in the plasma flow response. These changes were largest for wave interactions driven by finite Larmour radius effects. To provide a better assessment of higher harmonic interactions and IBW flow drive prospects, the electromagnetic (E&M) and RF kinetic force models are extended with no assumptions regarding the smallness of the ion Larmor radius. For both models, a spectral-width approximation was used to make the numerical analysis tractable. In addition, it was necessary to include the effects of plasma equilibrium gradients on the plasma conductivity and the RF-induced momentum in order to conserve energy and momentum. The analysis of high-harmonic IBW interactions for TFTR and FTU parameters indicates significant poloidal flow shears (relative to turbulence correlation times) for power levels available in present experiments. Recent advances in all-orders calculations of E&M fields in 2-D are also discussed.

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IAEA 2001