Global gyrokinetic study of density gradient driven instability in tokamaks: the ubiquitous mode

Abstract

The ubiquitous mode is investigated in the linear regime for the first time using a global gyrokinetic model. These modes are driven by the density gradient in trapped electron population but with mode frequency in the ion diamagnetic drift direction, in contrast to the conventional trapped electron mode. The dispersion relation is calculated along with the global mode structure. The ubiquitous mode is quite global although appears at a shorter wavelength ( 12ky2ρi2>1 ). We show that the main driving mechanism is the density gradient and the temperature gradient has only a modest effect; the mode can persist at higher temperature gradient scenarios making it another possible channel of anomalous transport. The magnetic shear reduces the growth of the mode; while the electron to ion temperature ratio has a nonmonotonic effect on the mode growth rate—growth rate increases initially for the ubiquitous branch of the mode and decreases afterwards as the conventional trapped electron mode starts dominating. The role of safety factor and toroidicity is also analyzed. Finally, a mixing length-based estimation of transport is presented.