Intrinsic momentum transport in tokamaks with tilted elliptical flux surfaces

POSTER

Abstract

Recent work demonstrated that breaking the up-down symmetry of tokamaks removes a constraint limiting intrinsic momentum transport, and hence toroidal rotation, to be small.\footnote{F.I. Parra, M. Barnes, and A.G. Peeters. Phys. Plasmas, 18(6):062501, 2011.} We show, through MHD analysis, that ellipticity is most effective at introducing up-down asymmetry throughout the plasma. Using GS2, a local $\delta f$ gyrokinetic code that self-consistently calculates momentum transport, we simulate tokamaks with tilted elliptical poloidal cross-sections and a Shafranov shift. These simulations show both the magnitude and poloidal dependence of nonlinear momentum transport. The results are consistent with TCV experimental measurements\footnote{Y. Camenen, A. Bortolon, B.P. Duval, et al. Phys. Rev. Lett., 105(13):135003, 2010.} and suggest that this mechanism can generate rotation with an Alfven Mach number of several percent in a tilted elliptical ITER-like machine. It appears that rotation generated with up-down asymmetry may be sufficient to stabilize the resistive wall mode in reactor-sized devices.

*J.R.B. and F.I.P. were partially supported by the RCUK Energy Programme (grant number EP/I501045) and the European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

Authors

  • Justin Ball

    • University of Oxford
  • Felix Parra

    • Oxford Univ., Physics Dept.
    • University of Oxford
  • Michael Barnes

    • University of Oxford
  • William Dorland

    • University of Maryland
    • Univ of Maryland-College Park
  • Gregory Hammett

    • Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University
    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and the Max-Planck/Princeton Center for Plasma Physics
    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
  • Paulo Rodrigues

    • Universidade de Lisboa
  • Nuno Loureiro

    • IPFN, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Universidade de Lisboa
    • Universidade de Lisboa