Alpha-particle losses from toroidicity-induced Alfvén eigenmodes. Part II: Monte Carlo simulations and anomalous alpha-loss processes
Author(s) -
D. J. Sigmar,
Chiou-Ting Hsu,
R. B. White,
C. Z. Cheng
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
physics of fluids b plasma physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2163-503X
pISSN - 0899-8221
DOI - 10.1063/1.860061
Subject(s) - physics , magnetohydrodynamics , toroid , amplitude , guiding center , normal mode , monte carlo method , diffusion , test particle , computational physics , plasma , atomic physics , classical mechanics , quantum mechanics , statistics , mathematics , vibration
Fusion‐born α particles moving parallel to the magnetic field can resonate with toroidal Alfven eigenmodes (TAE) leading to anomalous α‐orbit diffusion across the α‐loss boundaries in a tokamak. This is analyzed using the Hamiltonian guiding center code orbit in conjunction with the kinetic magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) eigenmode solving code nova‐k. Resonant single α orbits are studied below and above the threshold for orbit stochasticity and Monte Carlo randomized ensembles of alphas subjected to a finite amplitude time‐dependent TAE are followed with respect to their radial losses using realistic MHD equilibria and numerically computed toroidal Alfven eigenfunctions for one toroidal eigenmode n=1 and the full Fourier spectrum of poloidal harmonics m involved in the ‘‘gap mode.’’ The α‐loss mechanisms are resonant drift motion across the loss boundaries of alphas born near these boundaries and stochastic diffusion to the boundaries in constants of the motion (phase) space. After a first transient of resona...
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