Nonlinear three-dimensional MHD simulations of tearing modes in tokamak plasmas

Abstract

The comprehension of the dynamics of classical and neoclassical tearing modes is a key issue in high-performance tokamak plasmas. Avoiding these instabilities requires a good knowledge of all the physical mechanisms involved in their linear and/or nonlinear onset. Our tridimensional time evolution code XTOR, which solves the full magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations including thermal transport, is used to tackle this difficult problem. In this paper, to show the state of art in full-scale nonlinear MHD simulations of tokamak plasmas, we investigate the effect of plasma curvature on the tearing mode dynamics. For a realistic picture of this dynamics, heat diffusion is required in the linear regimes as well, as in the nonlinear regimes. We present a new dispersion relation including perpendicular and parallel transport, and show that it matches the linear and nonlinear regimes. This leads to a new tearing mode island evolution equation including curvature effects, valid for every island size in tokamak plasmas. This equation predicts a nonlinearly unstable regime for tearing instabilities, i.e. a regime which is linearly stable, but where the tearing mode can be destabilized nonlinearly by a finite-size seed island. These theoretical predictions are in good agreement with XTOR simulations. In particular, the nonlinear instability due to curvature effects is reproduced. Our results have an important impact on the onset mechanism of neoclassical tearing modes. They indeed predict that curvature effects lead to a resistive MHD threshold.