Study of ITG modes in RFX-mod using TRB code

TL;DR

This paper investigates the stability of ion-temperature-gradient drift turbulence in RFX-mod RFP plasmas using the TRB code, indicating marginal stability in current conditions and potential instability in future hotter regimes with sharper transport barriers.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed stability analysis of ITG modes in RFX-mod RFP plasmas using the TRB fluid code, highlighting conditions for potential future instabilities.

Findings

Current RFP plasmas are marginally stable against ITG turbulence.

Hotter plasmas with sharper transport barriers may become unstable.

The study uses the TRB fluid electrostatic turbulence code for analysis.

Abstract

We present here a study about the stability of Ion-Temperature-Gradient drift turbulence in the Quasi-Single-Helicity regime of RFX-mod Reversed Field Pinch (RFP) using the TRB fluid electrostatic turbulence code. Our results suggest that present-days RFP plasmas are marginally stable against this kind of turbulence. The onset of the instability may be envisaged for close future regimes, in the presence of hotter plasmas with sharper internal transport barriers.