Role of secondary long wavelength fluctuation in nonlinear saturation of the kinetic ballooning mode in tokamak plasmas

Abstract

Nonlinear saturation dynamics of electromagnetic turbulence and associated transport are investigated using a global simulation based on the Landau-fluid model in the finite β tokamak plasmas. The focus is on the kinetic ballooning mode (KBM), while a comparison to the β stabilized ion temperature gradient mode is carried out. Results show that the KBM turbulence creates relatively weaker zonal flows in finite β plasmas. Zonal current could be formed around the low order rational surfaces, but is too narrow and localized to affect the global transport level. It is found that the KBM turbulence is nonlinearly saturated in two sequential stages. The linear KBM instability is first saturated transiently at a low fluctuation level by weak zonal flows. Afterward, robust, linearly stable long wavelength fluctuations are nonlinearly excited and then interact feedback with primary unstable KBM components through the modulation process. As a result, the KBM is finally saturated with a down-shifted wavenumber spectrum. The suppression of turbulent transport by long wavelength fluctuations is identified as mainly resulting from the reduction of KBM turbulence intensity.