A full radius gyrokinetic stability analysis for large aspect ratio finite-β tokamaks

Abstract

Linear, fully gyrokinetic, full radius (global), large aspect ratio studies of Alfvén-ion temperature gradient mode (AITG) or kinetic ballooning modes or beta-induced Alfvén eigenmodes considering only “passing” species is presented. Effects hitherto completely neglected in a full radius approach such as B∥-fluctuations and the ones which have been treated partly [Phys. Plasmas 10, 1424 (2003)] such as Shafranov shifts are included. To this end, an existing code EM-GLOGYSTO has been upgraded to incorporate these effects. Among others, the most interesting results include: (i) For relatively large positive magnetic shear ŝ [1.25<ŝ<4.25, ŝ=d ln qs/d ln ρ, where qs(ρ) is safety factor and ρ minor radius], B∥ fluctuations have a benign effect on AITG growth rates and for positive but small shear (0.0<ŝ<2.7), B∥ fluctuations are too weak to play any crucial role. (ii) In the later case, inclusion of Shafranov shift leads to the following: (a) Growth rates without Shafranov shift effects are in general larger than those including Shafranov shift; (b) nonmonotonous dependence of growth rates and frequencies on β=2μ0NTi/B02; (c) the presence of multiple eigenmodes with competing growth rates for same values of β; (d) no sign of complete stabilization with increasing β. Finally eigenmode structures [φ,A∥,Aθ] with and without Shafranov shift are reported. The growth rates and frequencies thus obtained may serve as estimates of transport coefficients and for future bench marking of the (then) global electromagnetic, gyrokinetic, time evolution codes (particle-in-cell or otherwise).