Low-frequency zonal flow eigen-structures in tokamak plasmas

Abstract

The nonlocal eigenmode analysis of low-frequency zonal flows (ZFs) in toroidally rotating tokamak plasmas is performed in the framework of the reduced one-fluid ideal magnetohydrodynamic model. It is shown that for typical profiles of plasma parameters toroidal plasma rotation results in the global ZF formation on the periphery of plasma column. For some types of equilibria these ZFs are aperiodically unstable that leads to the excitation of the differential plasma rotation at the tokamak plasma edge.