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Theory and simulation of energetic particle dynamics and ensuing collective behaviors in fusion plasmas

[NonLinear Energetic particle Dynamics (NLED)]

Principal Investigator:

Fulvio Zonca

Project Participants:

Alessandro Biancalani, Alberto Bottino, Matthias Borchardt, Sergio Briguglio, Nakia Carlevaro, Claudio Di Troia, Remi Dumont, Matteo Faganello, Giuliana Fogaccia, Valeria Fusco, Xavier Garbet (till Jan.1st 2017), Ralf Kleiber, Axel Könies, Philipp Lauber, Zhixin Lu, Alexander Milovanov, Oleksiy Mishchenko, Giovanni Montani, Gregorio Vlad, Xin Wang, David Zarzoso

External Collaborators (not supported by NLED funding):

Ilija Chavdarovski (MPPC PostDoc Fellow), Michael Cole (PhD Student), Matteo Falessi (PhD Student till Feb.1st 2017), Thomas Hayward (PhD Student), Malik Idouakass (PhD Student till Feb.1st 2017), Pierluigi Migliano (PostDoc Fellow), Ivan Novikau (PhD Student), Francesco Palermo (PostDoc Fellow), Mirjam Schneller (EUROfusion Fellow till Feb.1st 2016), Christoph Slaby (PhD Student), Xavier Garbet (CEA Faculty)

Participating Research Institutions:

Aix Marseille Univerity, CEA Cadarache, ENEA Frascati, IPP Garching, IPP Greifswald

Objectives of the NLED project 2015-17

The main aim of this project proposal is to assess the essential physics elements for successful numerical simulation of Alfvénic fluctuations and energetic particle behaviors in fusion plasmas. A variety of numerical codes adopting both gyrokinetic as well as hybrid fluid-kinetic approaches will be employed to accomplish this task. Reference plasma scenarios, including these fundamental processes, will be extracted from experimental observations for carrying out numerical studies in conditions of practical interest. Meanwhile, the use of physical models of increasing complexity within numerical simulation codes will allow to clearly identify the importance of accounting for realistic plasma nonuniformity and magnetic field geometry for successful comparisons of numerical simulation results with experimental observations. Furthermore, benchmarking of codes developed for analyzing these physics in tokamak and stellarator devices will provide deeper insights.

Standardized numerical diagnostics, in particular for energetic-particle phase-space, have been developed as part of the 2014 NLED ER Project; and are foreseen as essential ingredient of this project proposal as well as prerequisite for verification of numerical simulation results and code benchmarking for both linear and nonlinear dynamics. Linear simulations will be focused on benchmarking numerical simulations of different types of Alfvénic oscillations with perturbative and non-perturbative fast particle drive; and on the analysis of electron- fishbone stability properties. Meanwhile, nonlinear simulations will address perturbative analyses of multi-mode (Alfvén Eigenmode) scenarios including realistic damping, as well as nonlinear electron-fishbone saturation and self-consistent supra-thermal electron transport. For long time-scale simulations, realistic energetic particle sources and collisions will be taken into account.

Main ongoing research activities in 2017

Activity Reports from previous years

• [1] 2014 NLED Activity Report. PDF
• [2] 2015 NLED Activity Report. PDF
• [3] 2016 NLED Mid-Term Report. PDF
• [4] 2016 NLED Activity Report. PDF

Upcoming Web Seminars and Rehearsals

• [1] NLED Seminar by Christoph Slaby: Benchmarking and extending the collision operator implemented in the EUTERPE code; January 11, (2017) at 10.00 am. (Information on presentations and material can be requested from presenting authors.)
• [2] Second NLED Workshop, February 27 - March 1, 2017, by remote participation. Agenda. PDF (Information on presentations and material can be requested from presenting authors.)
• [3] NLED Seminar by Claudio Di Troia: Non-perturbative guiding center transformation in gyrokinetics; March 29, (2017) at 2.30 pm. (Information on presentations and material can be requested from presenting authors.)
• [4] NLED Seminar by Fulvio Zonca: On Energetic-Particle Excitations of Low-Frequency Alfvén Eigenmodes in Toroidal Plasma; March 29, (2017) at 3.10 pm. (Information on presentations and material can be requested from presenting authors.)
• [5] NLED Rehearsal by Zhixin Lu: Local and global analysis of symmetry breaking for ITG and BAE modes; May 31, (2017) at 11.20 am. Rehearsal of Invited Talk at the 8th IAEA TM on Theory of Plasma Instabilities, Vienna, June 12-14, (2017). (Information on presentations and material can be requested from presenting authors.)

Publications/presentations in 2017

• [1] S. Briguglio, M. Schneller, X. Wang, C. Di Troia, T. Hayward-Schneider, V. Fusco, G. Vlad and G. Fogaccia, Saturation of Alfvén modes in tokamak plasmas investigated by Hamiltonian mapping techniques. Nucl. Fusion 57, 072001 (2017) (21pp). PDF
• [2] Z. Qiu, L. Chen and F. Zonca, Nonlinear excitation of finite-radial-scale zonal structures by toroidal Alfvén eigenmode. Nucl. Fusion 57, 056017 (2017) (10pp). PDF (30% NLED support)
• [3] A. Biancalani, A. Bottino, M. Cole, C. Di Troia, Ph. Lauber, A. Mishchenko, B. Scott and F. Zonca, Nonlinear interplay of Alfvén instabilities and energetic particles in tokamaks. Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 59, 054004 (2017) (14pp). PDF
• [4] L. Chen and F. Zonca, On energetic-particle excitations of low-frequency Alfvén eigenmodes in toroidal plasma. Physics of Plasmas 24, 072511 (2017) (10pp). PDF (50% NLED support)

Publications/presentations in 2016

• Complete list of publications and presentations in 2016.

Publications/presentations in 2015

• Complete list of publications and presentations in 2015.

Publications/presentations in 2014

• Complete list of publications and presentations in 2014.