Eigenmode analysis of geodesic acoustic modes

Abstract

Geodesic acoustic modes (GAMs) are studied as plasma eigenmodes when an electrostatic potential nearly constant around a magnetic surface is applied to collisionless toroidal plasmas. Besides the standard GAM, a branch of low frequency mode and an infinite series of ion sound wavelike modes are identified. Eigenfrequencies of these modes are obtained analytically and numerically from a linear gyrokinetic model. The finite gyroradius effect is found to enhance the collisionless damping of the standard GAM, while this enhancement is not monotonic as the safety factor varies. Moreover, additional damping due to higher-harmonic resonances becomes important when the safety factor increases. The mode structure of the GAM is also discussed.