The gyrokinetic transport analysis version of the XGC code

POSTER

Abstract

The upgrade of the total-f axisymmetric version of the gyrokinetic particle-in-cell code XGC [R. Hager et al. Phys. Plasmas 26 104502 (2019)] to a gyrokinetic transport analysis code is reported. The code is equipped with anomalous 2D cross-field transport fluxes superposed to the Lagrangian particle motions. Neoclassical physics, neutral particle recycling and fully nonlinear Fokker-Planck collisions are retained together with the self-consistent 2D axisymmetric electric field solution. In the XGC program, the drift-kinetic XGC0 code has played the role of a transport analysis tool, but its capability has been limited to 1D flux-surface averaged radial transport coefficients [D. J. Battaglia et al. Nucl. Fusion 53 113032 (2013)]. Unlike XGC0, the present code solves for poloidal-angle dependent physics that is necessary for a more reliable description of the edge plasma in the pedestal, across the magnetic separatrix and in the scrape-off layer. The 2D anomalous transport fluxes can be imported from a full-scale XGC simulation or from a surrogate model. Moreover, in the future we plan to use this version of XGC to telescope the plasma profile evolution through a multiscale coupling with a full-scale simulation, while the magnetic equilibrium is reconstructed by a code like M3D-C1.

*This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science ASCR and FES through the SciDAC-4 Partnership Center for High-fidelity Boundary Plasma Simulation (HBPS).

Presenters

  • Albert V Mollen

    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

Authors

  • Albert V Mollen

    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
  • Robert Hager

    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
  • Choongseok Chang

    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University
  • Varis Carey

    • Theodon Consulting LLC Superior
  • Nathaniel M Ferraro

    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory