Comparison of gradient and flux driven gyro-kinetic turbulent transport

Abstract

Flux and gradient driven ion temperature gradient turbulence in tokamak geometry and for Cyclone base case parameters are compared in the local limit using the same underlying gyro-kinetic turbulence model. The gradient driven turbulence described using the flux tube model with periodic boundary conditions has a finite ion heat flux Qi≈10n0T0ρ*2vth, where n0 (T0) is the background density (temperature), ρ*=ρ/R is the normalized Larmor radius, R is the major radius of the device, and vth is the ion thermal velocity at the nonlinear threshold of the temperature gradient length for turbulence generation. Consequently, the gradient driven local transport model is unable to accurately describe heat fluxes below Qi<10n0T0ρ*2vth, since no stationary fully developed turbulent state can be obtained. The turbulence in the flux driven case shows intermittent behaviour and avalanches for Qi<10n0T0ρ*2vth. Isolated avalanches disappear for Qi>10n0T0ρ*2vth, and at higher heat fluxes, the statistics of the turbulence is the same for the flux and gradient driven case. The nonlinear upshift of the temperature gradient length threshold for turbulence generation (known as the Dimits shift) is larger in the case of flux driven turbulence. This higher nonlinear upshift is attributed to the generation of structures in the radial temperature profile, known as staircases [Dif-Pradalier, Phys. Rev. E 82, 025401 (2010)]. Avalanches are initiated at specific locations and have roughly the same radial extent of 50–70 ion Larmor radii. The staircases are obtained at low heating rates, and become unstable and break up at higher heating rates. At the heat fluxes for which staircase formation is observed, no stationary gradient driven simulations can be obtained.