Effect of sheared toroidal rotation on ion temperature gradient turbulenceand resistive kink stability in a large aspect ratio tokamak

The effect of externally imposed sheared toroidal rotation on ion temperatu re gradient turbulence (ITG) and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability in a l arge aspect ratio tokamak has been studied using nonlinear gyrokinetic part icle-in-cell and linear reduced MHD computer calculations. Compared to shea red poloidal rotation, it is found that more sheared toroidal rotation is n eeded to reduce or suppress ITG turbulence and sheared toroidal rotation ap pears to always be linearly destabilizing for the paradigmatic resistive in ternal kink MHD mode studied. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.