Large-mode-number magnetohydrodynamic instability driven by sheared flows in a tokamak plasma with reversed central shear

Abstract

The effect of a narrow sub-Alfvénic shear flow layer near the minimum qmin of the tokamak safety factor profile in a configuration with reversed central shear is analyzed. Sufficiently strong velocity shear gives rise to a broad spectrum of fast growing Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH)-like ideal magnetohydrodynamic modes with dominant mode numbers m,n∼10. Nonlinear simulations with finite resistivity show magnetic reconnection near ripples caused by KH-like vortices, the formation of turbulent structures, and a flattening of the flow profile. The KH modes are compared to double tearing modes that dominate at lower shearing rates. The possible application of these results in tokamaks with internal transport barrier is discussed.