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Main Authors: Leconte, M., Hahm, T. S.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.19527
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author Leconte, M.
Hahm, T. S.
author_facet Leconte, M.
Hahm, T. S.
contents In this work, we describe a possible mechanism to set the radial scale of zonal flows, which may be applicable to the $E \times B$ staircase found in the global full-f simulations such as [G. Dif-Pradalier et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 085004 (2015)]. 1D numerical simulation results of the Cahn-Hilliard model - extended to include zonal flow friction - can be understood from a heuristic nonlinear analysis. The staircase step-size $Δ$ is found to decrease as the dimensionless zonal flow friction $μ$ increases. It scales like $Δ\sim \log μ^α$, with $α\simeq -0.41$, up to a constant offset.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_19527
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Friction-induced scale-selection in the extended Cahn-Hilliard model for zonal staircase
Leconte, M.
Hahm, T. S.
Plasma Physics
In this work, we describe a possible mechanism to set the radial scale of zonal flows, which may be applicable to the $E \times B$ staircase found in the global full-f simulations such as [G. Dif-Pradalier et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 085004 (2015)]. 1D numerical simulation results of the Cahn-Hilliard model - extended to include zonal flow friction - can be understood from a heuristic nonlinear analysis. The staircase step-size $Δ$ is found to decrease as the dimensionless zonal flow friction $μ$ increases. It scales like $Δ\sim \log μ^α$, with $α\simeq -0.41$, up to a constant offset.
title Friction-induced scale-selection in the extended Cahn-Hilliard model for zonal staircase
topic Plasma Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.19527