Modelling of saturated external MHD instabilities in tokamaks: a comparison of 3D free boundary equilibria and nonlinear stability calculations

TL;DR

This study compares 3D free boundary equilibrium models and nonlinear MHD simulations to understand external MHD instabilities in tokamaks, highlighting the effects of resistivity and harmonic coupling on plasma dynamics.

Contribution

It provides a detailed comparison between VMEC equilibrium code and JOREK nonlinear simulations for modeling saturated external kink and EHO instabilities in tokamaks.

Findings

Good agreement for external kink with high Lundquist number.

Differences in dominant toroidal harmonic for EHOs between models.

Resistivity influences the coupling of harmonics and plasma edge behavior.

Abstract

3D free boundary equilibrium computations have recently been used to model external kinks and edge harmonic oscillations (EHOs), comparing with linear MHD stability codes, and nonlinear analytic theory [Kleiner et al, PPCF 61 084005 (2019)]. In this study, results of the VMEC equilibrium code are compared further with nonlinear reduced MHD simulations, using the JOREK code. The purpose of this investigation is to understand the extent to which the modelling approaches agree, and identify the important physical effects which can modify the dynamics. For the simulated external kink, which is dominated by a single toroidal harmonic, good agreement is found when a large Lundquist number is used in the JOREK simulation, such that resistive effects are sub-dominant. Modelling EHOs where multiple toroidal harmonics are linearly unstable, the saturated perturbation observed can differ in the dominant toroidal harmonic. On the ideal timescale, a n=2 EHO is observed in JOREK, while the saturated perturbation predicted by VMEC is a n=1 mode. Extending simulations into timescales where resistive effects can play a role, similar n=1 perturbations can be found. The coupling of different linearly unstable toroidal harmonics in the JOREK simulation broadens the magnetic energy spectrum and ergodises the plasma edge region, resulting in a more localised pressure perturbation. These effects are not observed in VMEC, because closed magnetic flux surfaces are enforced. Despite the sensitivity of JOREK results on the assumed resistivity, saturated states can be found using both approaches that are in reasonable agreement, even for this more advanced case.