1. |
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- 2018
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In: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 1741-4326 .- 0029-5515. ; 58:1
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Research review (peer-reviewed)
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2. |
- Meyer, H., et al.
(author)
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Overview of progress in European medium sized tokamaks towards an integrated plasma-edge/wall solution
- 2017
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In: Nuclear Fusion. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0029-5515 .- 1741-4326. ; 57:10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Integrating the plasma core performance with an edge and scrape-off layer (SOL) that leads to tolerable heat and particle loads on the wall is a major challenge. The new European medium size tokamak task force (EU-MST) coordinates research on ASDEX Upgrade (AUG), MAST and TCV. This multi-machine approach within EU-MST, covering a wide parameter range, is instrumental to progress in the field, as ITER and DEMO core/pedestal and SOL parameters are not achievable simultaneously in present day devices. A two prong approach is adopted. On the one hand, scenarios with tolerable transient heat and particle loads, including active edge localised mode (ELM) control are developed. On the other hand, divertor solutions including advanced magnetic configurations are studied. Considerable progress has been made on both approaches, in particular in the fields of: ELM control with resonant magnetic perturbations (RMP), small ELM regimes, detachment onset and control, as well as filamentary scrape-off-layer transport. For example full ELM suppression has now been achieved on AUG at low collisionality with n = 2 RMP maintaining good confinement H-H(98,H-y2) approximate to 0.95. Advances have been made with respect to detachment onset and control. Studies in advanced divertor configurations (Snowflake, Super-X and X-point target divertor) shed new light on SOL physics. Cross field filamentary transport has been characterised in a wide parameter regime on AUG, MAST and TCV progressing the theoretical and experimental understanding crucial for predicting first wall loads in ITER and DEMO. Conditions in the SOL also play a crucial role for ELM stability and access to small ELM regimes.
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3. |
- Meyer, H., et al.
(author)
-
Overview of progress in European medium sized tokamaks towards an integrated plasma-edge/wall solution
- 2017
-
In: Nuclear Fusion. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0029-5515 .- 1741-4326. ; 57:10
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Integrating the plasma core performance with an edge and scrape-off layer (SOL) that leads to tolerable heat and particle loads on the wall is a major challenge. The new European medium size tokamak task force (EU-MST) coordinates research on ASDEX Upgrade (AUG), MAST and TCV. This multi-machine approach within EU-MST, covering a wide parameter range, is instrumental to progress in the field, as ITER and DEMO core/pedestal and SOL parameters are not achievable simultaneously in present day devices. A two prong approach is adopted. On the one hand, scenarios with tolerable transient heat and particle loads, including active edge localised mode (ELM) control are developed. On the other hand, divertor solutions including advanced magnetic configurations are studied. Considerable progress has been made on both approaches, in particular in the fields of: ELM control with resonant magnetic perturbations (RMP), small ELM regimes, detachment onset and control, as well as filamentary scrape-off-layer transport. For example full ELM suppression has now been achieved on AUG at low collisionality with n = 2 RMP maintaining good confinement H-H(98,H-y2) approximate to 0.95. Advances have been made with respect to detachment onset and control. Studies in advanced divertor configurations (Snowflake, Super-X and X-point target divertor) shed new light on SOL physics. Cross field filamentary transport has been characterised in a wide parameter regime on AUG, MAST and TCV progressing the theoretical and experimental understanding crucial for predicting first wall loads in ITER and DEMO. Conditions in the SOL also play a crucial role for ELM stability and access to small ELM regimes.
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4. |
- Meyer, H.F., et al.
(author)
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Overview of physics studies on ASDEX Upgrade
- 2019
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In: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 1741-4326 .- 0029-5515. ; 59:11
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) programme, jointly run with the EUROfusion MST1 task force, continues to significantly enhance the physics base of ITER and DEMO. Here, the full tungsten wall is a key asset for extrapolating to future devices. The high overall heating power, flexible heating mix and comprehensive diagnostic set allows studies ranging from mimicking the scrape-off-layer and divertor conditions of ITER and DEMO at high density to fully non-inductive operation (q 95 = 5.5, ) at low density. Higher installed electron cyclotron resonance heating power 6 MW, new diagnostics and improved analysis techniques have further enhanced the capabilities of AUG. Stable high-density H-modes with MW m-1 with fully detached strike-points have been demonstrated. The ballooning instability close to the separatrix has been identified as a potential cause leading to the H-mode density limit and is also found to play an important role for the access to small edge-localized modes (ELMs). Density limit disruptions have been successfully avoided using a path-oriented approach to disruption handling and progress has been made in understanding the dissipation and avoidance of runaway electron beams. ELM suppression with resonant magnetic perturbations is now routinely achieved reaching transiently . This gives new insight into the field penetration physics, in particular with respect to plasma flows. Modelling agrees well with plasma response measurements and a helically localised ballooning structure observed prior to the ELM is evidence for the changed edge stability due to the magnetic perturbations. The impact of 3D perturbations on heat load patterns and fast-ion losses have been further elaborated. Progress has also been made in understanding the ELM cycle itself. Here, new fast measurements of and E r allow for inter ELM transport analysis confirming that E r is dominated by the diamagnetic term even for fast timescales. New analysis techniques allow detailed comparison of the ELM crash and are in good agreement with nonlinear MHD modelling. The observation of accelerated ions during the ELM crash can be seen as evidence for the reconnection during the ELM. As type-I ELMs (even mitigated) are likely not a viable operational regime in DEMO studies of 'natural' no ELM regimes have been extended. Stable I-modes up to have been characterised using -feedback. Core physics has been advanced by more detailed characterisation of the turbulence with new measurements such as the eddy tilt angle - measured for the first time - or the cross-phase angle of and fluctuations. These new data put strong constraints on gyro-kinetic turbulence modelling. In addition, carefully executed studies in different main species (H, D and He) and with different heating mixes highlight the importance of the collisional energy exchange for interpreting energy confinement. A new regime with a hollow profile now gives access to regimes mimicking aspects of burning plasma conditions and lead to nonlinear interactions of energetic particle modes despite the sub-Alfvénic beam energy. This will help to validate the fast-ion codes for predicting ITER and DEMO.
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5. |
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6. |
- Bousquet, J, et al.
(author)
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Nrf2-interacting nutrients and COVID-19: time for research to develop adaptation strategies
- 2020
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In: Clinical and translational allergy. - : Wiley. - 2045-7022. ; 10:1, s. 58-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There are large between- and within-country variations in COVID-19 death rates. Some very low death rate settings such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, the Balkans and Africa have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods whose intake is associated with the activation of the Nrf2 (Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) anti-oxidant transcription factor. There are many Nrf2-interacting nutrients (berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, sulforaphane) that all act similarly to reduce insulin resistance, endothelial damage, lung injury and cytokine storm. They also act on the same mechanisms (mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin, PPARγ:Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, NFκB: Nuclear factor kappa B, ERK: Extracellular signal-regulated kinases and eIF2α:Elongation initiation factor 2α). They may as a result be important in mitigating the severity of COVID-19, acting through the endoplasmic reticulum stress or ACE-Angiotensin-II-AT1R axis (AT1R) pathway. Many Nrf2-interacting nutrients are also interacting with TRPA1 and/or TRPV1. Interestingly, geographical areas with very low COVID-19 mortality are those with the lowest prevalence of obesity (Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia). It is tempting to propose that Nrf2-interacting foods and nutrients can re-balance insulin resistance and have a significant effect on COVID-19 severity. It is therefore possible that the intake of these foods may restore an optimal natural balance for the Nrf2 pathway and may be of interest in the mitigation of COVID-19 severity.
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7. |
- Stroth, U., et al.
(author)
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Progress from ASDEX Upgrade experiments in preparing the physics basis of ITER operation and DEMO scenario development
- 2022
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In: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 1741-4326 .- 0029-5515. ; 62:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- An overview of recent results obtained at the tokamak ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) is given. A work flow for predictive profile modelling of AUG discharges was established which is able to reproduce experimental H-mode plasma profiles based on engineering parameters only. In the plasma center, theoretical predictions on plasma current redistribution by a dynamo effect were confirmed experimentally. For core transport, the stabilizing effect of fast ion distributions on turbulent transport is shown to be important to explain the core isotope effect and improves the description of hollow low-Z impurity profiles. The L-H power threshold of hydrogen plasmas is not affected by small helium admixtures and it increases continuously from the deuterium to the hydrogen level when the hydrogen concentration is raised from 0 to 100%. One focus of recent campaigns was the search for a fusion relevant integrated plasma scenario without large edge localised modes (ELMs). Results from six different ELM-free confinement regimes are compared with respect to reactor relevance: ELM suppression by magnetic perturbation coils could be attributed to toroidally asymmetric turbulent fluctuations in the vicinity of the separatrix. Stable improved confinement mode plasma phases with a detached inner divertor were obtained using a feedback control of the plasma β. The enhanced D α H-mode regime was extended to higher heating power by feedback controlled radiative cooling with argon. The quasi-coherent exhaust regime was developed into an integrated scenario at high heating power and energy confinement, with a detached divertor and without large ELMs. Small ELMs close to the separatrix lead to peeling-ballooning stability and quasi continuous power exhaust. Helium beam density fluctuation measurements confirm that transport close to the separatrix is important to achieve the different ELM-free regimes. Based on separatrix plasma parameters and interchange-drift-Alfvén turbulence, an analytic model was derived that reproduces the experimentally found important operational boundaries of the density limit and between L- and H-mode confinement. Feedback control for the X-point radiator (XPR) position was established as an important element for divertor detachment control. Stable and detached ELM-free phases with H-mode confinement quality were obtained when the XPR was moved 10 cm above the X-point. Investigations of the plasma in the future flexible snow-flake divertor of AUG by means of first SOLPS-ITER simulations with drifts activated predict beneficial detachment properties and the activation of an additional strike point by the drifts.
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8. |
- Litaudon, X., et al.
(author)
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EUROfusion-theory and advanced simulation coordination (E-TASC): programme and the role of high performance computing
- 2022
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In: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 1361-6587 .- 0741-3335. ; 64:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper is a written summary of an overview oral presentation given at the 1st Spanish Fusion High Performance Computer (HPC) Workshop that took place on the 27 November 2020 as an online event. Given that over the next few years ITER24 will move to its operation phase and the European-DEMO design will be significantly advanced, the EUROfusion consortium has initiated a coordination effort in theory and advanced simulation to address some of the challenges of the fusion research in Horizon EUROPE (2021-2027), i.e. the next EU Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. This initiative has been called E-TASC, which stands for EUROfusion-Theory and Advanced Simulation Coordination. The general and guiding principles of E-TASC are summarized in this paper. In addition, an overview of the scientific results obtained in the pilot phase (2019-2020) of E-TASC are provided while highlighting the importance of the required progress in computational methods and HPC techniques. In the initial phase, five pilot theory and simulation tasks were initiated: towards a validated predictive capability of the low to high transition and pedestal physics; runaway electrons in tokamak disruptions in the presence of massive material injection; fast code for the calculation of neoclassical toroidal viscosity in stellarators and tokamaks; development of a neutral gas kinetics modular code; European edge and boundary code for reactor-relevant devices. In this paper, we report on recent progress made by each of these projects.
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9. |
- Citrin, J., et al.
(author)
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Tractable flux-driven temperature, density, and rotation profile evolution with the quasilinear gyrokinetic transport model QuaLiKiz
- 2017
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In: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 1361-6587 .- 0741-3335. ; 59:12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Quasilinear turbulent transport models are a successful tool for prediction of core tokamak plasma profiles in many regimes. Their success hinges on the reproduction of local nonlinear gyrokinetic fluxes. We focus on significant progress in the quasilinear gyrokinetic transport model QuaLiKiz (Bourdelle et al 2016 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 58 014036), which employs an approximated solution of the mode structures to significantly speed up computation time compared to full linear gyrokinetic solvers. Optimisation of the dispersion relation solution algorithm within integrated modelling applications leads to flux calculations x 10(6-7) faster than local nonlinear simulations. This allows tractable simulation of flux-driven dynamic profile evolution including all transport channels: ion and electron heat, main particles, impurities, and momentum. Furthermore, QuaLiKiz now includes the impact of rotation and temperature anisotropy induced poloidal asymmetry on heavy impurity transport, important for W-transport applications. Application within the JETTO integrated modelling code results in 1 s of JET plasma simulation within 10 h using 10 CPUs. Simultaneous predictions of core density, temperature, and toroidal rotation profiles for both JET hybrid and baseline experiments are
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10. |
- Hatch, D. R., et al.
(author)
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Microtearing modes as the source of magnetic fluctuations in the JET pedestal
- 2021
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In: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 0029-5515 .- 1741-4326. ; 61:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report on a detailed study of magnetic fluctuations in the JET pedestal, employing basic theoretical considerations, gyrokinetic simulations, and experimental fluctuation data to establish the physical basis for their origin, role, and distinctive characteristics. We demonstrate quantitative agreement between gyrokinetic simulations of microtearing modes (MTMs) and two magnetic frequency bands with corresponding toroidal mode numbers n = 4 and 8. Such disparate fluctuation scales, with substantial gaps between toroidal mode numbers, are commonly observed in pedestal fluctuations. Here we provide a clear explanation, namely the alignment of the relevant rational surfaces (and not others) with the peak in the omega(*) profile, which is localized in the steep gradient region of the pedestal. We demonstrate that a global treatment is required to capture this effect. Nonlinear simulations suggest that the MTM fluctuations produce experimentally-relevant transport levels and saturate by relaxing the background electron temperature gradient, slightly downshifting the fluctuation frequencies from the linear predictions. Scans in collisionality are compared with a simple MTM dispersion relation. At the experimental points considered, MTM growth rates can either increase or decrease with collision frequency depending on the parameters thus defying any simple characterization of collisionality dependence.
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11. |
- Oberparleiter, Michael, 1986, et al.
(author)
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Interaction between neoclassical effects and ion temperature gradient turbulence in gradient- and flux-driven gyrokinetic simulations
- 2016
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In: Physics of Plasmas. - : AIP Publishing. - 1089-7674 .- 1070-664X. ; 23:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Neoclassical and turbulent transport in tokamaks has been studied extensively over the past decades, but their possible interaction remains largely an open question. The two are only truly independent if the length scales governing each of them are sufficiently separate, i.e., if the ratio ρ∗ between ion gyroradius and the pressure gradient scale length is small. This is not the case in particularly interesting regions such as transport barriers. Global simulations of a collisional ion-temperature-gradient-driven microturbulence performed with the nonlinear global gyrokinetic code Gene are presented. In particular, comparisons are made between systems with and without neoclassical effects. In fixed-gradient simulations, the modified radial electric field is shown to alter the zonal flow pattern such that a significant increase in turbulent transport is observed for ρ1/300. Furthermore, the dependency of the flux on the collisionality changes. In simulations with fixed power input, we find that the presence of neoclassical effects decreases the frequency and amplitude of intermittent turbulent transport bursts (avalanches) and thus plays an important role for the self-organisation behaviour.
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12. |
- Bilato, A., et al.
(author)
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Impact of ICRF fast-ions on core turbulence and MHD activity in ASDEX upgrade
- 2023
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In: 24th Topical Conference On Radio-Frequency Power In Plasmas. - : AIP Publishing.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Experiments in various tokamaks and their analysis identify the fast ions (FI) generated by NBI and/or ICRF heating as one of the main causes of the observed improvement in core confinement: fast ions can reduce core microturbulence (mainly Ion-Temperature-Gradient (ITG) driven modes) either electrostatically or electromagnetically, or they can resonate with fishbones and high-frequency Alfvén modes, which in turn contribute in stabilizing ITG. In this perspective, we discuss recent experiments done on ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) where ICRF is the main actuator for FI generation for energies above 100 keV. Additionally, ICRF-FIs can substantially impact the MHD activity and its consequent effects on fast ion losses (FILs) and ion-cyclotron emission (ICE). We present dedicated AUG experiments with NBI-D further accelerated by ICRF.
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13. |
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14. |
- Citrin, J., et al.
(author)
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Electromagnetic stabilization of tokamak microturbulence in a high-beta regime
- 2015
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In: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 0741-3335 .- 1361-6587. ; 57:1, s. 014032-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The impact of electromagnetic stabilization and flow shear stabilization on ITG turbulence is investigated. Analysis of a low-beta JET L-mode discharge illustrates the relation between ITG stabilization and proximity to the electromagnetic instability threshold. This threshold is reduced by suprathermal pressure gradients, highlighting the effectiveness of fast ions in ITG stabilization. Extensive linear and nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations are then carried out for the high-beta JET hybrid discharge 75225, at two separate locations at inner and outer radii. It is found that at the inner radius, nonlinear electromagnetic stabilization is dominant and is critical for achieving simulated heat fluxes in agreement with the experiment. The enhancement of this effect by suprathermal pressure also remains significant. It is also found that flow shear stabilization is not effective at the inner radii. However, at outer radii the situation is reversed. Electromagnetic stabilization is negligible while the flow shear stabilization is significant. These results constitute the high-beta generalization of comparable observations found at low-beta at JET. This is encouraging for the extrapolation of electromagnetic ITG stabilization to future devices. An estimation of the impact of this effect on the ITER hybrid scenario leads to a 20% fusion power improvement.
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15. |
- Citrin, J., et al.
(author)
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Electromagnetic stabilization of tokamak microturbulence in a high-β regime
- 2014
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In: 41st EPS Conference on Plasma Physics, EPS 2014. - : European Physical Society (EPS).
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The impact of electromagnetic stabilization and flow shear stabilization on ITG turbulence is investigated. Analysis of a low-β JET L-mode discharge illustrates the relation between ITG stabilization, and proximity to the electromagnetic instability threshold. This threshold is reduced by suprathermal pressure gradients, highlighting the effectiveness of fast ions in ITG stabilization. Extensive linear and nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations are then carried out for the high-β JET hybrid discharge 75225, at two separate locations at inner and outer radii. It is found that at the inner radius, nonlinear electromagnetic stabilization is dominant, and is critical for achieving simulated heat fluxes in agreement with the experiment. The enhancement of this effect by suprathermal pressure also remains significant. It is also found that flow shear stabilization is not effective at the inner radii. However, at outer radii the situation is reversed. Electromagnetic stabilization is negligible while the flow shear stabilization is significant. These results constitute the high-β generalization of comparable observations found at low-β at JET. This is encouraging for the extrapolation of electromagnetic ITG stabilization to future devices. An estimation of the impact of this effect on the ITER hybrid scenario leads to a 20% fusion power improvement.
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16. |
- Citrin, J., et al.
(author)
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Ion temperature profile stiffness : non-linear gyrokinetic simulations and comparison with experiment
- 2014
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In: Nuclear Fusion. - : IOP Publishing. - 0029-5515 .- 1741-4326. ; 54:2, s. 023008-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recent experimental observations at JET show evidence of reduced ion temperature profile stiffness. An extensive set of nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations are performed based on the experimental discharges, investigating the physical mechanism behind the observations. The impact on the ion heat flux of various parameters that differ within the data-set are explored. These parameters include the safety factor, magnetic shear, toroidal flow shear, effect of rotation on the magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium, R/L-n, beta(e), Z(eff), T-e/T-i, and the fast-particle content. While previously hypothesized to be an important factor in the stiffness reduction, the combined effect of toroidal flow shear and low magnetic shear is not predicted by the simulations to lead to a significant reduction in ion heat flux, due both to an insufficient magnitude of flow shear and significant parallel velocity gradient destabilization. It is however found that nonlinear electromagnetic effects due to both thermal and fast-particle pressure gradients, even at low beta(e), can significantly reduce the ion heat flux, and is a key factor in explaining the experimental observations. A total of four discharges are examined, at both inner and outer radii. For all cases studied, the simulated and experimental ion heat flux values agree within reasonable variations of input parameters around the experimental uncertainties.
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17. |
- Citrin, J., et al.
(author)
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Nonlinear stabilization of tokamak microturbulence by fast ions
- 2013
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In: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 111:15, s. 155001-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nonlinear electromagnetic stabilization by suprathermal pressure gradients found in specific regimes is shown to be a key factor in reducing tokamak microturbulence, augmenting significantly the thermal pressure electromagnetic stabilization. Based on nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations investigating a set of ion heat transport experiments on the JET tokamak, described by Mantica et al., this result explains the experimentally observed ion heat flux and stiffness reduction. These findings are expected to improve the extrapolation of advanced tokamak scenarios to reactor relevant regimes.
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18. |
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19. |
- Miesch, M., et al.
(author)
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Large-Eddy Simulations of Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence in Heliophysics and Astrophysics
- 2015
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In: Space Science Reviews. - : Springer Netherlands. - 0038-6308 .- 1572-9672.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We live in an age in which high-performance computing is transforming the way we do science. Previously intractable problems are now becoming accessible by means of increasingly realistic numerical simulations. One of the most enduring and most challenging of these problems is turbulence. Yet, despite these advances, the extreme parameter regimes encountered in space physics and astrophysics (as in atmospheric and oceanic physics) still preclude direct numerical simulation. Numerical models must take a Large Eddy Simulation (LES) approach, explicitly computing only a fraction of the active dynamical scales. The success of such an approach hinges on how well the model can represent the subgrid-scales (SGS) that are not explicitly resolved. In addition to the parameter regime, heliophysical and astrophysical applications must also face an equally daunting challenge: magnetism. The presence of magnetic fields in a turbulent, electrically conducting fluid flow can dramatically alter the coupling between large and small scales, with potentially profound implications for LES/SGS modeling. In this review article, we summarize the state of the art in LES modeling of turbulent magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows. After discussing the nature of MHD turbulence and the small-scale processes that give rise to energy dissipation, plasma heating, and magnetic reconnection, we consider how these processes may best be captured within an LES/SGS framework. We then consider several specific applications in heliophysics and astrophysics, assessing triumphs, challenges, and future directions.
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