Generation of zonal flows by coupled electrostatic drift and ion-acoustic waves

Abstract

Generation of sheared zonal flow by low-frequency coupled electrostatic drift and ion-acoustic waves is presented. Primary waves of different (small, intermediate, and large) scales are considered, and the appropriate system of equations consisting of generalized Hasegawa-Mima equation for the electrostatic potential (involving both vector and scalar nonlinearities) and equation of parallel to magnetic field ions motion is obtained. It is shown that along with the mean poloidal flow with strong variation in minor radius mean sheared toroidal flow can also be generated. According to laboratory plasma experiments, main attention to large scale drift-ion-acoustic wave is given. Peculiarities of the Korteweg-de Vries type scalar nonlinearity due to the electrons temperature non-homogeneity in the formation of zonal flow by large-scale turbulence are widely discussed. Namely, it is observed that such type of flows need no generation condition and can be spontaneously excited.