arXiv subjects

N. Ferraro

Publications and source records attributed to N. Ferraro.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Simulations of internal kink modes and sawtooth crashes for SPARC baseline-like scenarios using the M3D-C1 code

A relaxed baseline case, based on the SPARC Primary Reference Discharge (PRD) design point, is used to conduct a thorough investigation for the most unstable low-$n$ MHD instabilities for the first time. The simulations use the high-fidelity 3D extended-MHD code M3D-C1. The linear simulation, by scanning over the resistivity, identifies a dominant internal kink mode at the $q=1$ surface with a toroidal mode number $n=1$. Both the current and the pressure profiles are strongly affecting the kink instability in the baseline case. The linear growth rate is sensitive to the keV-level temperature profile and the on-axis $q_0$ around unity. A simplified 1D eigenvalue solver shows a good qualitative agreement for the observed pressure effects. In 3D nonlinear simulations, the marginally unstable case gives a moderate sawtooth crash soon after $q_0$ drops below unity, likely because of the lack of stabilizing effects in our simulations, such as heating and energetic particles. When both the current and the pressure drives exist (the baseline case), a strong sawtooth is observed, which features a magnetic reconnection event and a hollowed pressure profile. This can be explained by mixing both the Kadomtsev and Wesson models. The actual sawtooth crash may occur in SPARC before $q_0$ drops far below unity due to the sensitive changes of the instability around $q_0\sim 1$. The sawtooth-like oscillations shown in low-$\beta$ simulations also provides an opportunity to investigate periodic sawtoothing timescales in SPARC. This work forms a basis for understanding particle and heat transport under the influence of MHD instabilities, which can be essential for properly assessing the performance of the SPARC tokamak and future fusion pilot plants.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2026

Nonlinear Saturation of Ballooning Modes in Stellarators

Ballooning mode saturation is investigated in realistic stellarator configurations using the flux tube approach of Ham et. al. [1] [2]. The method is adapted to account for the lack of exact force balance in stellarator equilibrium solvers that assume existence of nested flux surfaces. A variational approach for calculating flux tube energy is developed to overcome this force error problem in stellarator numerical equilibria. Saturated (equilibrium) flux tube states that cross 10-20% of the plasma minor radius are shown to exist for linearly ballooning unstable profiles. It is shown that several features of the displaced flux tube structure in a full nonlinear MHD simulation of Wendelstein 7X are reproduced by our model. Saturated states are found in a compact stellarator equilibrium close but below the marginal ballooning linear instability, i.e. the unperturbed equilibrium is metastable. This suggests that Edge-Localized-Mode-like explosive MHD behavior may be possible in stellarators.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2025

Coupled 2-D MHD and runaway electron fluid simulations of SPARC disruptions

Runaway electrons (REs) generated during disruption events in tokamaks can carry mega-Ampere level currents, potentially causing damage to plasma-facing components. Understanding RE evolution during disruption events is important for evaluating strategies to mitigate RE damage. Using two-dimensional toroidally symmetric magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations in M3D-C1, which incorporates a fluid RE model evolved self-consistently with the bulk MHD fluid, we examine the seeding and avalanching of REs during disruptions in the SPARC tokamak - a compact high-field high-current device designed to achieve a fusion gain Q > 2 in deuterium-tritium plasmas. The M3D-C1 simulations of unmitigated disruptions demonstrate RE plateau formation and peaking of the final current density, which agree well with the results of lower-fidelity reduced RE fluid models. This work provides the first systematic comparison and benchmarking of different primary sources, including activated tritium beta decay and Compton scattering, in SPARC disruption simulations with self-consistent MHD and RE coupling.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2017

Magnetic flux pumping in 3D nonlinear magnetohydrodynamic simulations

A self-regulating magnetic flux pumping mechanism in tokamaks that maintains the core safety factor at $q\approx 1$, thus preventing sawteeth, is analyzed in nonlinear 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations using the M3D-C$^1$ code. In these simulations, the most important mechanism responsible for the flux pumping is that a saturated $(m=1,n=1)$ quasi-interchange instability generates an effective negative loop voltage in the plasma center via a dynamo effect. It is shown that sawtoothing is prevented in the simulations if $\beta$ is sufficiently high to provide the necessary drive for the $(m=1,n=1)$ instability that generates the dynamo loop voltage. The necessary amount of dynamo loop voltage is determined by the tendency of the current density profile to centrally peak which, in our simulations, is controlled by the peakedness of the applied heat source profile.

physics.plasm-ph↗