Alfvén wave driving forces and plasma flow in tokamak plasmas

Abstract

The resonant and non-resonant current drive and plasma flow produced by the Alfvén and fast waves are discussed for both collisional and collisionless magnetized plasmas. The magneto-hydrodynamics approach is used to study collisional plasma regimes, and the kinetic model is considered for the weakly collisional plasmas. Time-averaged poloidal and toroidal ponderomotive forces driven by the Alfvén waves are estimated analytically and calculated numerically. The effect of plasma flow on the driving forces is found. Balancing the ponderomotive force with the ion viscosity, strong sheared toroidal and poloidal plasma rotations are found for wave dissipated power about 400 kW in small tokamaks. In this case hollow current profiles (inverted magnetic shear) can also be achieved. This configuration can help create internal transport barriers.