The Stochastic Field Transport associated with the Slab ITG Modes

TL;DR

This paper examines whether magnetic field perturbations from small-beta ITG modes can cause significant stochastic magnetic transport, comparing it with electrostatic ExB transport in plasma slabs.

Contribution

It introduces a method to estimate stochastic magnetic transport caused by ITG modes and compares it with electrostatic transport in a plasma slab model.

Findings

Perturbed magnetic fields can lead to notable stochastic transport at resonant surfaces.

Stochastic magnetic transport estimates are comparable to ExB transport in the studied conditions.

The analysis provides insights into magnetic field effects in plasma turbulence.

Abstract

Many models for anomalous transport consider the turbulent ExB transport arising from electrostatic micro-instabilities. In this paper we investigate whether the perturbed magnetic field that is associated with such instabilities at small but finite values of {beta} can lead to significant stochastic magnetic field transport. Using the tearing parity, long wave-length ion temperature gradient (ITG) modes in a plasma slab with magnetic shear as an example, we calculate the amplitude of the perturbed magnetic field that results at the resonant surface for the case when the plasma dissipation is given by the semi-collisional electron model. The resulting stochastic field transport is estimated and also compared with an estimate for the ExB transport due to the ITG mode.