Gyrokinetic simulations of spherical tokamaks

C. M. Roach, I. G. Abel, R. J. Akers, W. Arter, M. Barnes, Y. Camenen, F. J. Casson, G. Colyer, J. W. Connor, S. C. Cowley, D. Dickinson, W. Dorland, A. R. Field, W. Guttenfelder, G. W. Hammett, R. J. Hastie, E. Highcock, N. F. Loureiro, A. G. Peeters, M. ReshkoS. Saarelma, A. A. Schekochihin, M. Valovic, H. R. Wilson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

87 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper reviews transport and confinement in spherical tokamaks (STs) and our current physics understanding of this that is partly based on gyrokinetic simulations. Equilibrium flow shear plays an important role, and we show how this is consistently included in the gyrokinetic framework for flows that greatly exceed the diamagnetic velocity. The key geometry factors that influence the effectiveness of turbulence suppression by flow shear are discussed, and we show that toroidal equilibrium flow shear can sometimes entirely suppress ion scale turbulence in today's STs. Advanced nonlinear simulations of electron temperature gradient (ETG) driven turbulence, including kinetic ion physics, collisions and equilibrium flow shear, support the model that ETG turbulence can explain electron heat transport in many ST discharges.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number124020
JournalPlasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Volume51
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - 2009
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Nuclear Energy and Engineering
  • Condensed Matter Physics

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