arXiv subjects

Carine Giroud

Publications and source records attributed to Carine Giroud.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Measurement of zero-frequency fluctuations generated by coupling between Alfven modes in the JET tokamak

We report the first experimental detection of a zero-frequency fluctuation that is pumped by an Alfvèn mode in a magnetically confined plasma. Core-localized bidirectional Alfvèn modes of frequency inside the toroidicity-induced gap (and its harmonics) exhibit three-wave coupling interactions with a zero-frequency fluctuation. The observation of the zero-frequency fluctuation is consistent with theoretical and numerical predictions of zonal modes pumped by Alfvén modes, and is correlated with an increase in the deep core ion temperature, temperature gradient, and confinement factor $H_{89,P}$. Despite the energetic particle transport induced by the Alfvèn eigenmodes, the generation of a zero-frequency fluctuation that can suppress the turbulence leads to an overall improvement of confinement.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2024

Beam focusing and consequences for Doppler Backscattering measurements

The phenomenon of beam focusing of microwaves in a plasma near a turning-point caustic is discussed in the context of the analytical solution to the Gaussian beam-tracing equations in the 2D linear-layer problem. The location of maximum beam focusing and the beam width at that location are studied in terms of the beam initial conditions. The analytic solution is used to study the effect of this focusing on Doppler backscattering (DBS). We find that the filter function that characterises the scattering intensity contributions along the beam path through the plasma is inversely proportional to the beam width, predicting enhanced scattering contributions from the beam focusing region. We show that the DBS signal enhancement for small incident angles between the beam path and the density gradient is due to beam focusing and not due to forward scattering. The analytic beam model is used to predict the measurement of the $k_y$ density-fluctuation wavenumber power spectrum via DBS, showing that the spectral exponent of the turbulent, intermediate-to-high $k_y$ density-fluctuation spectrum might be quantitatively measurable via DBS, but not the spectral peak corresponding to the driving scale of the turbulent cascade.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2020

Toroidal and slab ETG instability dominance in the linear spectrum of JET-ILW pedestals

Local linear gyrokinetic simulations show that electron temperature gradient (ETG) instabilities are the fastest growing modes for $k_y ρ_i \gtrsim 0.1$ in the steep gradient region for a JET pedestal discharge (92174) where the electron temperature gradient is steeper than the ion temperature gradient. Here, $k_y$ is the wavenumber in the direction perpendicular to both the magnetic field and the radial direction, and $ρ_i$ is the ion gyroradius. At $k_y ρ_i \gtrsim 1$, the fastest growing mode is often a novel type of toroidal ETG instability. This toroidal ETG mode is driven at scales as large as $k_y ρ_i \sim (ρ_i/ρ_e) L_{Te} / R_0 \sim 1$ and at a sufficiently large radial wavenumber that electron finite Larmor radius effects become important; that is, $K_x ρ_e \sim 1$, where $K_x$ is the effective radial wavenumber. Here, $ρ_e$ is the electron gyroradius, $R_0$ is the major radius of the last closed flux surface, and $1/L_{Te}$ is an inverse length proportional to the logarithmic gradient of the equilibrium electron temperature. The fastest growing toroidal ETG modes are often driven far away from the outboard midplane. In this equilibrium, ion temperature gradient instability is subdominant at all scales and kinetic ballooning modes are shown to be suppressed by $\mathbf{ E} \times \mathbf{ B} $ shear. ETG modes are very resilient to $\mathbf{ E} \times \mathbf{ B}$ shear. Heuristic quasilinear arguments suggest that the novel toroidal ETG instability is important for transport.

physics.plasm-ph↗