Enrique Tirapegui | Searcharxiv

arXiv2022

Turbulent Transport in Tokamak-plasmas: A Thermodynamic Approach

In previous work we provided the explicit form of the nonlinear PDEs, subjected to the appropriate boundary conditions, which have to be satisfied by transport coefficients for systems out of Onsager's region. Since the proposed PDEs are obtained without neglecting any term present in the balance equations (i.e., the mass, momentum, and energy balance equations), we propose them as a good candidate for describing also transport in thermodynamic systems in turbulent regimes. As a special case, we derive the nonlinear PDEs for transport coefficients when the thermodynamic system is subjected to two thermodynamic forces. In this case, the obtained PDE is, in thermodynamical field theory (TFT), analogous to Liouville's equation in Riemannian (or pseudo-Riemannian) geometry. The validity of our model is tested by analyzing a concrete example where Onsager's relations manifestly disagree with experience: transport in Tokamak-plasmas. More specifically, we compute the electron mass and energy losses in turbulent FTU (Frascati Tokamak Upgrade)-plasmas. We show the agreement between the theoretical predictions and experimental observations. This approach allows for predicting the values of the Bohm and the gyro-Bohm coefficients. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that such coefficients have been evaluated analytically. The aim of this series of works is to apply our approach to the Divertor Tokamak Test facility (DTT), to be built in Italy, and to ITER.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2016

Symmetry Group and Group Representations Associated to the Thermodynamic Covariance Principle (TCP)

We describe the Lie group and the group representations associated to the nonlinear Thermodynamic Coordinate Transformations (TCT). The TCT guarantee the validity of the Thermodynamic Covariance Principle (TCP) : {\it The nonlinear closure equations, i.e. the flux-force relations, everywhere and in particular outside the Onsager region, must be covariant under TCT}. In other terms, the fundamental laws of thermodynamics should be manifestly covariant under transformations between the admissible thermodynamic forces, i.e. under TCT. The TCP ensures the validity of the fundamental theorems for systems far from equilibrium. The symmetry properties of a physical system are intimately related to the conservation laws characterizing that system. Noether's theorem gives a precise description of this relation. We derive the conserved (thermodynamic) currents and, as an example of calculation, a simple system out of equilibrium where the validity of TCP is imposed at the level of the kinetic equations is also analyzed.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗