arXiv subjects

Philipp Lauber

Publications and source records attributed to Philipp Lauber.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Gyrokinetic modelling of anisotropic energetic particle driven instabilities in tokamak plasmas

Energetic particles produced by neutral beams are observed to excite energetic-particle-driven geodesic acoustic modes (EGAMs) in tokamaks. We study the effects of anisotropy of distribution function of the energetic particles on the excitation of such instabilities with ORB5, a gyrokinetic particle-in-cell code. Numerical results are shown for linear electrostatic simulations with ORB5. The growth rate is found to be sensitively dependent on the phase-space shape of the distribution function. The behavior of the instability is qualitatively compared to the theoretical analysis of dispersion relations. Realistic neutral beam energetic particle anisotropic distributions are obtained from the heating solver RABBIT and are introduced into ORB5 as input distribution function. Results show a dependence of the growth rate on the injection angle. A qualitative comparison to experimental measurements is presented and few disagreements between them are found, being the growth rate in the simulations much lower than that from experiments. An explanation for the difference is advanced.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2021

Mode structure symmetry breaking of reversed shear Alfvén eigenmodes and its impact on the generation of parallel velocity asymmetries in energetic particle distribution

In this work, the gyrokinetic eigenvalue code LIGKA, the drift-kinetic/MHD hybrid code HMGC and the gyrokinetic full-f code TRIMEG-GKX are employed to study the mode structure details of Reversed Shear Alfvén Eigenmodes (RSAEs). Using the parameters from an ASDEX-Upgrade plasma, a benchmark with the three different physical models for RSAE without and with Energetic Particles (EPs) is carried out. Reasonable agreement has been found for the mode frequency and the growth rate. Mode structure symmetry breaking (MSSB) is observed when EPs are included, due to the EPs' non-perturbative effects. It is found that the MSSB properties are featured by a finite radial wave phase velocity, and the linear mode structure can be well described by an analytical complex Gaussian expression $A(s)=e^{- σ(s-s_0)^2}$ with complex parameters $σ$ and $s_0$, where $s$ is the normalized radial coordinate. The mode structure is distorted in opposite {manners} when the EP drive shifted from one side of $q_{min}$ to the other side, and specifically, a non-zero average radial wave number $\langle k_s\rangle$ with opposite signs is generated. The initial EP density profiles and the corresponding mode structures have been used as the input of HAGIS code to study the EP transport. The parallel velocity of EPs is generated in opposite directions, due to different values of the average radial wave number $\langle k_s\rangle$, corresponding to different initial EP density profiles with EP drive shifted away from the $q_{min}$.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2021

Effects of anisotropic energetic particles on zonal flow residual level

In tokamak plasmas, the interaction among the micro-turbulence, zonal flows (ZFs) and energetic particles (EPs) can affect the turbulence saturation level and the consequent confinement quality and thus, is important for future burning plasmas. In this work, the EP anisotropy effects on the ZF residual level are studied by using anisotropic EP distributions with dependence on pitch. Significant effects on the long wavelength ZFs have been found when small to moderate width around the dominant pitch in the EP distribution function is assumed. In addition, it is found that ZF residual level is enhanced by barely passing/trapped and/or deeply trapped EPs, but it is suppressed by well passing and/or intermediate trapped EPs. Numerical calculation shows that for ASDEX Upgrade plasmas, typical EP distribution functions can bring in -3%~+5.5% mitigation/enhancement in ZF residual level, depending on the EP distribution functions.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2021

Numerics and computation in gyrokinetic simulations of electromagnetic turbulence with global particle-in-cell codes

Electromagnetic turbulence is addressed in tokamak and stellarator plasmas with the global gyrokinetic particle-in-cell codes ORB5 [E. Lanti et al, Comp. Phys. Comm, vol. 251, 107072 (2020)] and EUTERPE [V. Kornilov et al, Phys. Plasmas, vol. 11, 3196 (2004)]. The large-aspect-ratio tokamak, down-scaled ITER, and Wendelstein 7-X geometries are considered. The main goal is to increase the plasma beta, the machine size, the ion-to-electron mass ratio, as well as to include realistic-geometry features in such simulations. The associated numerical requirements and the computational cost for the cases on computer systems with massive GPU deployments are investigated. These are necessary steps to enable electromagnetic turbulence simulations in future reactor plasmas.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2021

Alpha particle driven Alfvénic instabilities in ITER post-disruption plasmas

Fusion-born alpha particles in ITER disruption simulations are investigated as a possible drive of Alfvénic instabilities. The ability of these waves to expel runaway electron (RE) seed particles is explored in the pursuit of a passive, inherent RE mitigation scenario. The spatiotemporal evolution of the alpha particle distribution during the disruption is calculated using the linearized Fokker-Planck solver CODION coupled to a fluid disruption simulation. These simulations are done in the limit of no alpha particle transport during the thermal quench, which can be seen as a most pessimistic situation where there is also no RE seed transport. Under these assumptions, the radial anisotropy of the resulting alpha population provides free energy to drive Alfvénic modes during the quench phase of the disruption. We use the linear gyrokinetic magnetohydrodynamic code LIGKA to calculate the Alfvén spectrum and find that the equilibrium is capable of sustaining a wide range of modes. The self-consistent evolution of the mode amplitudes and the alpha distribution is calculated utilizing the wave-particle interaction tool HAGIS. Intermediate mode number ($n=7-15,~22-26$) Toroidal Alfvén Eigenmodes (TAEs) are shown to saturate at an amplitude of up to $δB /B \approx 0.1$\% in the spatial regimes crucial for RE seed formation. We find that the mode amplitudes are predicted to be sufficiently large to permit the possibility of significant radial transport of runaway electrons.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2019

Implementation of energy transfer technique in ORB5 to study collisionless wave-particle interactions in phase-space

A new diagnostic has been developed to investigate the wave-particle interaction in the phase-space in gyrokinetic particle-in-cell codes. Based on the projection of energy transfer terms onto the velocity space, the technique has been implemented and tested in the global code ORB5 and it gives an opportunity to localise velocity domains of maximum wave-plasma energy exchange for separate species. Moreover, contribution of different species and resonances can be estimated as well, by integrating the energy transfer terms in corresponding velocity domains. This Mode-Plasma-Resonance (MPR) diagnostic has been applied to study the dynamics of the Energetic-particle-induced Geodesic Acoustic Modes (EGAMs) in an ASDEX Upgrade shot, by analysing the influence of different species on the mode time evolution. Since the equations on which the diagnostic is based, are valid in both linear and nonlinear cases, this approach can be applied to study nonlinear plasma effects. As a possible future application, the technique can be used, for instance, to investigate the nonlinear EGAM frequency chirping, or the plasma heating due to the damping of the EGAMs.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2015

Nonlinear Energetic Particle Transport in the Presence of Multiple Alfvenic Waves in ITER

This work presents the results of a multi mode ITER study on Toroidal Alfven Eigenmodes, using the nonlinear hybrid HAGIS-LIGKA model. It is found that main conclusions from earlier studies of ASDEX Upgrade discharges can be transferred to the ITER scenario: global, nonlinear effects are crucial for the evolution of the multi mode scenario. This work focuses on the ITER 15 MA baseline scenario with with a safety factor at the magnetic axis of $q_0 =$ 0.986. The least damped eigenmodes of the system are identified with the gyrokinetic, non-perturbative LIGKA solver, concerning mode structure, frequency and damping. Taking into account all weakly damped modes that can be identified linearly, nonlinear simulations with HAGIS reveal strong multi mode behavior: while in some parameter range, quasi-linear estimates turn out to be reasonable approximations for the nonlinearly relaxed energetic particle profile, under certain conditions low-n TAE branches can be excited. As a consequence, not only grow amplitudes of all modes to (up to orders of magnitude) higher values compared to the single mode cases but also, strong redistribution is triggered in the outer radial area between $ρ_\mathrm{pol} =$ 0.6 and 0.85, far above quasi-linear estimates.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2013

Numerical validation of the electromagnetic gyrokinetic code NEMORB on global axisymmetric modes

This is a report about a comparison of collisionless simulations on global modes (i.e. low poloidal mode number) with gyrokinetic code NEMORB against analytical theory and other codes. Only axisymmetric modes, i.e. with toroidal mode number n=0, are considered, and flat equilibrium profiles. Benchmarks are performed for GAMs against local analytical theory. In the presence of energetic ions, local benchmarks of NEMORB are performed against semilagrangian gyrokinetic code GYSELA. The models of adiabatic vs trapped-kinetic- vs fully-kinetic-electrons and of electrostatic vs electromagnetic at very low beta are compared. Scalings of Alfven modes are also presented.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2013

Multi-mode Alfvénic Fast Particle Transport and Losses: Numerical vs. Experimental Observation

In many discharges at ASDEX Upgrade fast particle losses can be observed due to Alfvénic gap modes, Reversed Shear Alfvén Eigenmodes or core-localized Beta Alfvén Eigenmodes. For the first time, simulations of experimental conditions in the ASDEX Upgrade fusion device are performed for different plasma equilibria (particularly for different, also non-monotonic q profiles). The numerical tool is the extended version of the HAGIS code [Pinches'98, Brüdgam PhD Thesis, 2010], which also computes the particle motion in the vacuum region between vessel wall in addition to the internal plasma volume. For this work, a consistent fast particle distribution function was implemented to represent the strongly anisotropic fast particle population as generated by ICRH minority heating. Furthermore, HAGIS was extended to use more realistic eigenfunctions, calculated by the gyrokinetic eigenvalue solver LIGKA [Lauber'07]. The main aim of these simulations is to allow fast ion loss measurements to be interpreted with a theoretical basis. Fast particle losses are modeled and directly compared with experimental measurements [García-Muñoz'10]. The phase space distribution and the mode-correlation signature of the fast particle losses allows them to be characterized as prompt, resonant or diffusive (non-resonant). The experimental findings are reproduced numerically. It is found that a large number of diffuse losses occur in the lower energy range (at around 1/3 of the birth energy) particularly in multiple mode scenarios (with different mode frequencies), due to a phase space overlap of resonances leading to a so-called domino [Berk'95] transport process. In inverted q profile equilibria, the combination of radially extended global modes and large particle orbits leads to losses with energies down to 1/10th of the birth energy.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2012

Nonlinear alfvénic fast particle transport and losses

Magnetohydrodynamic instabilities like Toroidal Alfvén Eigenmodes or core-localized modes such as Beta Induced Alfvén Eigenmodes and Reversed Shear Alfvén Eigenmodes driven by fast particles can lead to significant redistribution and losses in fusion devices. This is observed in many ASDEX Upgrade discharges. The present work aims to understand the underlying resonance mechanisms, especially in the presence of multiple modes with different frequencies. Resonant mode coupling mechanisms are investigated using the drift kinetic HAGIS code [Pinches 1998]. Simulations were performed for different plasma equilibria, in particular for different q profiles, employing the availability of improved experimental data. A study was carried out, investigating double-resonant mode coupling with respect to various overlapping scenarios. It was found that, depending on the radial mode distance, double-resonance is able to enhance growth rates as well as mode amplitudes significantly. Small radial mode distances, however can also lead to strong nonlinear mode stabilization of a linear dominant mode. With the extended version of HAGIS, losses were simulated and directly compared with experimental loss measurements. The losses' phase space distribution as well as their ejection signal is consistent with experimental data. Furthermore, it allowed to characterize them as prompt, resonant or stochastic. It was found that especially in multiple mode scenarios (with different mode frequencies), abundant incoherent losses occur in the lower energy range, due to a broad phase-space stochastization. The incoherent higher energetic losses are "prompt", i.e. their initial energy is too large for confined orbits.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2012

Double-resonant fast particle-wave interaction

In future fusion devices fast particles must be well confined in order to transfer their energy to the background plasma. Magnetohydrodynamic instabilities like Toroidal Alfvén Eigenmodes or core-localized modes such as Beta Induced Alfvén Eigenmodes and Reversed Shear Alfvén Eigenmodes, both driven by fast particles, can lead to significant losses. This is observed in many ASDEX Upgrade discharges. The present study applies the drift-kinetic HAGIS code with the aim of understanding the underlying resonance mechanisms, especially in the presence of multiple modes with different frequencies. Of particular interest is the resonant interaction of particles simultaneously with two different modes, referred to as 'double-resonance'. Various mode overlapping scenarios with different q profiles are considered. It is found that, depending on the radial mode distance, double-resonance is able to enhance growth rates as well as mode amplitudes significantly. Surprisingly, no radial mode overlap is necessary for this effect. Quite the contrary is found: small radial mode distances can lead to strong nonlinear mode stabilization of a linearly dominant mode.

physics.plasm-ph↗