[en] The relevance of the gyrokinetic fluctuation-dissipation theorem (FDT) to thermal equilibrium and nonequilibrium states of the gyrokinetic plasma is explored, with particular focus being given to the contribution of weakly damped normal modes to the fluctuation spectrum. It is found that the fluctuation energy carried in the normal modes exhibits the proper scaling with particle count (as predicted by the FDT in thermal equilibrium) even in the presence of drift waves, which grow linearly and attain a nonlinearly saturated steady state. This favorable scaling is preserved, and the saturation amplitude of the drift wave unaffected, for parameter regimes in which the normal modes become strongly damped and introduce a broad spectrum of discreteness-induced background noise in frequency space

[en] Two-fluid equations, which include the physics imparted by an externally applied radiofrequency source near electron cyclotron resonance, are derived in their extended magnetohydrodynamic forms using the formalism of Hegna and Callen [Phys. Plasmas 16, 112501 (2009)]. The equations are compatible with the closed fluid/drift-kinetic model developed by Ramos [Phys. Plasmas 17, 082502 (2010); 18, 102506 (2011)] for fusion-relevant regimes with low collisionality and slow dynamics, and they facilitate the development of advanced computational models for electron cyclotron current drive-induced suppression of neoclassical tearing modes.

[en] A numerical method is presented for finding the eigenfunctions (normal modes) and mode frequencies of azimuthally symmetric non-neutral plasmas confined in a Penning trap whose axial thickness is much smaller than their radial size. The plasma may be approximated as a charged disk in this limit; the normal modes and frequencies can be found if the surface charge density profile σ(r) of the disk and the trap bounce frequency profile ω_z(r) are known. The dependence of the eigenfunctions and equilibrium plasma shapes on nonideal components of the confining Penning trap fields is discussed. The results of the calculation are compared with the experimental data of Weimer et al. [Phys. Rev. A 49, 3842 (1994)] and it is shown that the plasma in this experiment was probably hollow and had mode displacement functions that were concentrated near the center of the plasma

[en] The evolution of the amplitude of the m=1 diocotron mode is used to measure the background neutral pressure in the Electron Diffusion Gauge (EDG), a Malmberg-Penning trap. Below 5x10^-8 Torr, the dependence on pressure scales as P^1/4, and is sensitive to pressure changes as small as ΔP=5x10^-11 Torr. Previous studies on the EDG showed that the diocotron mode is more strongly damped at higher neutral pressures. Both the diocotron mode damping rate and the plasma expansion rate depend similarly on experimental parameters, i.e., conditions which favor expansion also favor suppression of the diocotron mode. The sensitivity of the mode evolution is examined as a function of the resistive growth driving conditions, which are controlled by the amount of wall resistance connected to the trap

[en] The expansion of the Electron Diffusion Gauge (EDG) pure electron plasma due to collisions with background neutral gas atoms is characterized by the pressure and magnetic field scaling of the profile expansion rate (d/dt)< r²>. Data obtained at higher background gas pressures than previously studied is presented. The measured expansion rate in the higher pressure regime is found to be in good agreement with the classical estimate of the expansion rate

[en] Smaller-diameter pure electron plasmas are generated in the Electron Diffusion Gauge (EDG) using a thoriated tungsten filament wound into a spiral shape with an outer diameter which is 1/4 of the trap wall diameter. The m=1 diocotron mode is excited in the plasma by means of the resistive-wall instability, using a resistor-relay circuit which allows the mode to be induced at various initial amplitudes. The dynamics of this mode may be predicted using linear theory when the amplitude is small. However, it has been observed [e.g., Fine et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 63, 2232 (1989)] that at larger amplitudes the frequency of this mode (relative to the small-amplitude frequency) exhibits a quadratic dependence on the mode amplitude. In this paper, the frequency shift and nonlinear dynamics of the m=1 diocotron mode in the EDG device are investigated

[en] Finite-difference time-domain methods have, in recent years, developed powerful capabilities for modeling realistic ICRF behavior in fusion plasmas [1, 2, 3, 4]. When coupled with the power of modern high-performance computing platforms, such techniques allow the behavior of antenna near and far fields, and the flow of RF power, to be studied in realistic experimental scenarios at previously inaccessible levels of resolution. In this talk, we present results and 3D animations from high-performance FDTD simulations on the Titan Cray XK7 supercomputer, modeling both Alcator C-Mod’s field-aligned ICRF antenna and the ITER antenna module. Much of this work focuses on scans over edge density, and tailored edge density profiles, to study dispersion and the physics of slow wave excitation in the immediate vicinity of the antenna hardware and SOL. An understanding of the role of the lower-hybrid resonance in low-density scenarios is emerging, and possible implications of this for the NSTX launcher and power balance are also discussed. In addition, we discuss ongoing work centered on using these simulations to estimate sputtering and impurity production, as driven by the self-consistent sheath potentials at antenna surfaces

[en] Nonlinear effects associated with the physics of radiofrequency wave propagation through a plasma are investigated numerically in the time domain, using both fluid and particle-in-cell (PIC) methods. We find favorable comparisons between parametric decay instability scenarios observed on the Alcator C-MOD experiment [J. C. Rost, M. Porkolab, and R. L. Boivin, Phys. Plasmas 9, 1262 (2002)] and PIC models. The capability of fluid models to capture important nonlinear effects characteristic of wave-plasma interaction (frequency doubling, cyclotron resonant absorption) is also demonstrated.

[en] A model which incorporates the effects of electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) into the magnetohydrodynamic equations is implemented in the NIMROD code [C. R. Sovinec et al., J. Comput. Phys. 195, 355 (2004)] and used to investigate the effect of ECCD injection on the stability, growth, and dynamical behavior of magnetic islands associated with resistive tearing modes. In addition to qualitatively and quantitatively agreeing with numerical results obtained from the inclusion of localized ECCD deposition in static equilibrium solvers [A. Pletzer and F. W. Perkins, Phys. Plasmas 6, 1589 (1999)], predictions from the model further elaborate the role which rational surface motion plays in these results. The complete suppression of the (2,1) resistive tearing mode by ECCD is demonstrated and the relevant stabilization mechanism is determined. Consequences of the shifting of the mode rational surface in response to the injected current are explored, and the characteristic short-time responses of resistive tearing modes to spatial ECCD alignments which are stabilizing are also noted. We discuss the relevance of this work to the development of more comprehensive predictive models for ECCD-based mitigation and control of neoclassical tearing modes.