Modeling of convective cells, turbulence, and transport induced by a radio-frequency antenna in the tokamak boundary plasma

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Main Authors: Umansky, M. V., Dudson, B. D., Jenkins, T. G., Myra, J. R., Smithe, D. N.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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_version_ 1866911145706651648
author Umansky, M. V.
Dudson, B. D.
Jenkins, T. G.
Myra, J. R.
Smithe, D. N.
author_facet Umansky, M. V.
Dudson, B. D.
Jenkins, T. G.
Myra, J. R.
Smithe, D. N.
contents The edge turbulence model Hermes (Dudson et al., 2017 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 59 05401) is set up for plasma boundary simulations with an RF antenna, using parameters characteristic of a tokamak edge. Cartesian slab geometry is used with thin plate limiters representing the ICRF antenna side-wall limiters. Ad-hoc DC electric biasing of the limiters, motivated by calculations with VSim (Nieter et al., J. Comput. Phys. 196, 448 (2004)), represents an induced RF sheath rectified potential in the plasma turbulence model. Flux-driven turbulence simulations demonstrate a realistic distribution of plasma profiles and fluctuations. There is a clear effect of the antenna sheath voltage leading to formation of convective cells; bias-induced convective transport flattens the SOL density profile and fluctuations penetrate into the shadow region of the limiters as the bias voltage increases. Turbulent transport for impurity ions is inferred by following ion trajectories in the simulated plasma turbulence fields, showing Bohm-like effective diffusion rates. All in all, the model elucidates the key physical phenomena governing the effects of ICRF-induced antenna biasing on the tokamak boundary plasma.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_08178
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Modeling of convective cells, turbulence, and transport induced by a radio-frequency antenna in the tokamak boundary plasma
Umansky, M. V.
Dudson, B. D.
Jenkins, T. G.
Myra, J. R.
Smithe, D. N.
Plasma Physics
The edge turbulence model Hermes (Dudson et al., 2017 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 59 05401) is set up for plasma boundary simulations with an RF antenna, using parameters characteristic of a tokamak edge. Cartesian slab geometry is used with thin plate limiters representing the ICRF antenna side-wall limiters. Ad-hoc DC electric biasing of the limiters, motivated by calculations with VSim (Nieter et al., J. Comput. Phys. 196, 448 (2004)), represents an induced RF sheath rectified potential in the plasma turbulence model. Flux-driven turbulence simulations demonstrate a realistic distribution of plasma profiles and fluctuations. There is a clear effect of the antenna sheath voltage leading to formation of convective cells; bias-induced convective transport flattens the SOL density profile and fluctuations penetrate into the shadow region of the limiters as the bias voltage increases. Turbulent transport for impurity ions is inferred by following ion trajectories in the simulated plasma turbulence fields, showing Bohm-like effective diffusion rates. All in all, the model elucidates the key physical phenomena governing the effects of ICRF-induced antenna biasing on the tokamak boundary plasma.
title Modeling of convective cells, turbulence, and transport induced by a radio-frequency antenna in the tokamak boundary plasma
topic Plasma Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.08178