Global gyrokinetic simulation of tokamak transport

Abstract

A kinetic simulation code based on the gyrokinetic ion dynamics in global general metric (including a tokamak with circular or noncircular cross-section) has been developed. This gyrokinetic simulation is capable of examining the global and semi-global driftwave structures and their associated transport in a tokamak plasma. We investigate the property of the ion temperature gradient (ITG) or ηi(ηi≡∂ ln Ti/∂ ln ni) driven drift waves in a tokamak plasma. The emergent semi-global drift wave modes give rise to thermal transport characterized by the Bohm scaling.