On the edge turbulence in a DTT-like tokamak plasma

TL;DR

This paper investigates edge turbulence in a DTT-like tokamak plasma using 3D electro-static fluid simulations, highlighting the roles of diffusion, magnetic components, and boundary conditions in turbulent behavior and spectral features.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the effects of magnetic shear, boundary conditions, and diffusion on edge turbulence in tokamak plasmas, relevant for future reactor control.

Findings

Diffusion coefficient significantly influences turbulent spectra.

Adding poloidal magnetic components affects vortex and zonal flow formation.

Radial boundary conditions alter turbulence characteristics.

Abstract

Turbulent transport provides the main contribution to particle and energy losses in tokamak plasmas, which control is of paramount importance for forthcoming reactors such as the Divertor-Tokamak-Test (DTT) facility under construction at ENEA Frascati. In this work we investigate the characteristic features of drift turbulence at the plasma edge through 3D electro-static fluid simulations. We outline the crucial role of the diffusion coefficient for the emerging turbulent spectra and for the excitation of vortex structures or zonal flows. Moreover, the impact of adding a poloidal magnetic component is discussed considering also a radial shear, and the emergence of anisotropic spectral features is emphasized. The analysis is extended to the case with Dirichlet boundary conditions along the radial direction, instead of the periodic ones usually employed in such kind of analyses.