Gingell, Peter W., Chapman, Sandra C. and Dendy, R. O. (2013) Plasma heating by ion gyro-scale blobs in the kinetic and fluid regimes. Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, Volume 55 (Number 5). Article number 055010. doi:10.1088/0741-3335/55/5/055010 ISSN 0741-3335.

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Abstract

Strongly localized concentrations of plasma density ('blobs') are ubiquitous in the near-edge region of tokamak plasmas. They contribute significantly to heating and transport in that region, and therefore to overall energy confinement. The blob population may include some whose characteristic length scales are on the order of the ion gyro-scale, and cannot be resolved by contemporary diagnostics. Using simulations of ion gyro-scale blobs that include full ion kinetics, we perform the first comparison between the heating ability of ions in small, kinetic blobs and in larger, fluid ones. We find that, embedded in a flowing plasma, small scale blobs contribute more heating per ion than larger blobs, as a result of ion pick-up at the upstream blob-background boundary. This may result in significant excess plasma heating by an ion population that is not yet directly observable.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Divisions:	Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Physics
Journal or Publication Title:	Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Publisher:	Institute of Physics Publishing Ltd.
ISSN:	0741-3335
Official Date:	2013
Dates:	Date Event 2013 Published
Volume:	Volume 55
Number:	Number 5
Page Range:	Article number 055010
DOI:	10.1088/0741-3335/55/5/055010
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access

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