Mean sheared flow and parallel ion motion effects on zonal flow generation in ion-temperature-gradient mode turbulence

TL;DR

This paper analyzes how sheared mean flows and parallel ion motion influence the generation and behavior of zonal flows in ion-temperature-gradient turbulence, revealing suppression and increased oscillations under certain conditions.

Contribution

It presents an analytical model for the interaction of sheared mean flows with zonal flows, incorporating parallel ion motion effects in ITG turbulence.

Findings

Sheared mean flows generally suppress zonal flow growth rates.

Parallel ion motion makes zonal flows more oscillatory with increasing ta_i.

The model provides insights for tokamak plasma behavior.

Abstract

The present work investigates the direct interaction of sheared mean flow with zonal flows (ZF) and the effect of parallel ion motion on ZF generation in ion-temperature-gradient (ITG) background turbulence. An analytical model for the direct interaction of sheared mean flows with zonal flows is constructed. The model used for the toroidal ITG driven mode is based on the equations for ion continuity, ion temperature and parallel ion motion whereas the ZF evolution is described by the vorticity equation. The behavior of the ZF growth rate and real frequency is examined for typical tokamak parameters. It is shown that in general the zonal flow growth rate is suppressed by the presence of a sheared mean flow. In addition, with parallel ion motion effects the ZFs become more oscillatory for increasing $\eta_i (= L_n/L_{Ti})$ value.