Nonlinear gyrokinetic theory based on a new method and computation of the guiding-center orbit in tokamaks

Abstract

The nonlinear gyrokinetic theory in the tokamak configuration based on the two-step transform is developed; in the first step, we transform the magnetic potential perturbation to the Hamiltonian part, and in the second step, we transform away the gyroangle-dependent part of the perturbed Hamiltonian. Then the I-transform method is used to decoupled the perturbation part of the motion from the unperturbed motion. The application of the I-transform method to the computation of the guiding-center orbit and the guiding-center distribution function in tokamaks is presented. It is demonstrated that the I-transform method of the orbit computation which involves integrating only along the unperturbed orbit agrees with the conventional method which integrates along the full orbit. A numerical code based on the I-transform method is developed and two numerical examples are given to verify the new method.