Analysis of plasma current profile driven by coaxial helicity injection ina low aspect ratio tokamak

Citation
C. Zhang et al., Analysis of plasma current profile driven by coaxial helicity injection ina low aspect ratio tokamak, NUCL FUSION, 41(11), 2001, pp. 1567-1573
Citations number
18
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
Journal title
NUCLEAR FUSION
ISSN journal
00295515 → ACNP
Volume
41
Issue
11
Year of publication
2001
Pages
1567 - 1573
Database
ISI
SICI code
0029-5515(200111)41:11<1567:AOPCPD>2.0.ZU;2-#
Abstract
The plasma current profile driven by coaxial direct current helicity inject ion in a low aspect ratio toroidal configuration is investigated by applyin g the principle of minimum energy dissipation rate. It is shown that curren t profile modes are mainly determined by the Lagrange multiplier beta. Some critical values beta (c), are found. Different current profiles are obtain ed in different beta ranges. Three typical current profiles are presented. The key features of the first case with beta < 7.1 agree well with current experiments. Larger driven plasma current and the typical current profiles of normal tokamaks can be obtained in the region of beta from 7.1 to 9.65. There exist reversals of both j phi and B phi in the central part of the pl asma when beta becomes higher than 13, 9.65. For a selected geometry the va lues of beta (c), depend weakly on other parameters. The different beta val ues and corresponding current profiles can be achieved by adjusting certain parameters. There exist critical values of plasma temperature, bias voltag e and vacuum toroidal magnetic field that induce the transformation of the current profile mode. The profile of lambda = mu oj phi /B phi is non-unifo rm in the plasma and a larger deviation from force free states appears when beta becomes higher.