Nonlocal energetic particle mode in a JT-60U plasma

Todo, Yasushi*; Shinohara, Koji; Takechi, Manabu; Ishikawa, Masao

Physics of Plasmas, 12(1), p.012503_1 - 012503_7, 2005/01

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1828084

Energetic-ion driven instability in a JT-60U plasma was investigated using a simulation code for magnetohydrodynamics and energetic particles. The spatial profile of the unstable mode peaks near the plasma center where the safety factor profile is flat and the spatial profile consists of a single primary harmonic m/n = 2/1. The real frequency of the unstable mode is close to the experimental starting frequency of the fast frequency sweeping mode. Simulation results demonstrate that energetic ion orbit width and energetic ion pressure significantly broaden radial profile of the unstable mode. For the smallest value among the investigated energetic ion orbit width, the unstable mode is localized within 20% of the minor radius. This gives an upper limit of the spatial profile width of the unstable mode which the magnetohydrodynamic effects alone can induce. For the experimental condition of the JT-60U plasma, energetic ions broaden the radial width of the unstable mode spatial profile by a factor of 3. The unstable mode is primarily induced by the energetic particles.