Stability and properties of electron-driven fishbones in tokamaks

TL;DR

This paper develops a linear stability analysis and a computational tool to understand how energetic electrons influence the stability of fishbone modes in tokamaks, with implications for fusion reactor operation.

Contribution

It derives a new dispersion relation including passing particle effects and introduces the MIKE code for analyzing electron-driven fishbones.

Findings

Barely trapped and barely passing electrons can destabilize the mode.

Deeply trapped and passing electrons have stabilizing and destabilizing effects respectively.

Simulations suggest energetic electrons can drive low-frequency modes, explaining Tore Supra observations.

Abstract

In tokamaks, the stability of magneto-hydrodynamic modes can be modified by populations of energetic particles. In ITER-type fusion reactors, such populations can be generated by fusion reactions or auxiliary heating. The electron-driven fishbone mode results from the resonant interaction of the internal kink mode with the slow toroidal precessional motion of energetic electrons and is frequently observed in present-day tokamaks with Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating or Lower Hybrid Current Drive. In Tore Supra, electron-driven fishbones are observed during LHCD-powered discharges in which a high-energy tail of the electronic distribution function is created. Although the destabilization of those modes is related to the existence of a fast particle population, the modes are observed at a frequency that is lower than expected. The linear stability analysis of electron-driven fishbone modes is the main focus of this thesis. The fishbone dispersion relation is derived in a form that accounts for the contribution of the parallel motion of passing particles to the resonance condition. The MIKE code is developed to compute and solve the dispersion relation of electron-driven fishbones. The code is successfully benchmarked against theory using simple analytical distributions. Using the code MIKE with parametric distributions and equilibria, we show that both barely trapped and barely passing electrons resonate with the mode and can drive it unstable. More deeply trapped and passing electrons have a non-resonant effect on the mode that is, respectively, stabilizing and destabilizing. MIKE simulations using complete ECRH-like distribution functions show that energetic barely passing electrons can contribute to drive a mode unstable at a relatively low frequency. This observation could provide some insight to the understanding of Tore Supra experiments.