Zonal fields as catalysts and inhibitors of turbulence-driven magnetic islands

Abstract

A novel coalescence process is shown to take place in plasma fluid simulations, leading to the formation of large-scale magnetic islands that become dynamically important in the system. The parametric dependence of the process on the plasma $\beta$ and the background magnetic shear is studied, and the process is broken down at a fundamental level, allowing to clearly identify its causes and dynamics. The formation of magnetic-island-like structures at the spatial scale of the unstable modes is observed quite early in the non-linear phase of the simulation for most cases studied, as the unstable modes change their structure from interchange-like to tearing-like. This is followed by a slow coalescence process that evolves these magnetic structures towards larger and larger scales, adding to the large-scale tearing-like modes that already form by direct coupling of neighbouring unstable modes, but remain sub-dominant without the contribution from the smaller scales through coalescence. The presence of the cubic non-linearities retained in the model is essential in the dynamics of this process. The zonal fields are key actors of the overall process, acting as mediators between the competitive mechanisms from which Turbulence Driven Magnetic Islands can develop. The zonal current is found to slow down the formation of large-scale magnetic islands, acting as an inhibitor, while the zonal flow is needed to allow the system to transfer energy to the larger scales, acting as a catalyst for the island formation process.