No abstract

A new map called the symmetric simple map is introduced to represent the chaotic trajectories of magnetic field lines in the scrape-off layer of a single-null divertor tokamak. Good surfaces of this map are very nearly axisymmetric. Therefore it gives a far better representation of the magnetic topology of a single-null divertor tokamak. The map is investigated in detail and used to analyze the generic features of the field line trajectories and their footprint on the divertor plate. The map is employed to calculate the variations in the fraction of magnetic flux from the stochastic layer diverted onto plate, in the footprint and in related parameters as the map parameter is varied. The Lyapunov exponents and the field diffusion coefficients are calculated. The low mode number map and the dipole map are introduced to include the effects of low and high mode number perturbations in the new map.

A new approach to integration of magnetic field lines in divertor tokamaks is proposed. In this approach, an analytic equilibrium generating function (EGF) is constructed in natural canonical coordinates (ψ,θ) from experimental data from a Grad–Shafranov equilibrium solver for a tokamak. ψ is the toroidal magnetic flux and θ is the poloidal angle. Natural canonical coordinates (ψ,θ,φ) can be transformed to physical position (R,Z,φ) using a canonical transformation. (R,Z,φ) are cylindrical coordinates. Another canonical transformation is used to construct a symplectic map for integration of magnetic field lines. Trajectories of field lines calculated from this symplectic map in natural canonical coordinates can be transformed to trajectories in real physical space. Unlike in magnetic coordinates [O. Kerwin, A. Punjabi, and H. Ali, Phys. Plasmas 15, 072504 (2008)], the symplectic map in natural canonical coordinates can integrate trajectories across the separatrix surface, and at the same time, give trajectories in physical space. Unlike symplectic maps in physical coordinates (x,y) or (R,Z), the continuous analog of a symplectic map in natural canonical coordinates does not distort trajectories in toroidal planes intervening the discrete map. This approach is applied to the DIII-D tokamak [J. L. Luxon and L. E. Davis, Fusion Technol. 8, 441 (1985)]. The EGF for the DIII-D gives quite an accurate representation of equilibrium magnetic surfaces close to the separatrix surface. This new approach is applied to demonstrate the sensitivity of stochastic broadening using a set of perturbations that generically approximate the size of the field errors and statistical topological noise expected in a poloidally diverted tokamak. Plans for future application of this approach are discussed.

The low MN map is derived from the general theory of maps and the generating function for the low mn perturbation. The unperturbed magnetic topology of a single-null divertor tokamak is represented by the symmetric simple map. The perturbed topology is represented by the low MN map. The method of maps is applied to calculate the effects of low mn perturbation on the stochastic layer and the magnetic footprint. The low mn perturbation organizes the stochastic layer into large scale spatial structures. This is reflected in the phase portraits, safety factor, Liapunov exponents, magnetic footprints, and the semiconnection length. For the expected range of the amplitude of the low mn perturbation, the fraction of magnetic flux escaping the stochastic layer, the width of stochastic layer, the area of the magnetic footprints increase, while the number of hot spots and the fraction of flux going into the hot spots both decrease. The key features of the complex patterns in the heat deposition on the collector plates in divertor tokamaks are quite well recovered from the results of the low MN map.

In this paper, the method of maps is used to calculate the effects of high toroidal and poloidal mode number perturbation on the trajectories of magnetic field lines in a single-null divertor tokamak. First, a simplified derivation of the dipole map from the Hamiltonian mechanics of magnetic field is given. This map represents the effects of an externally located current carrying coil on the motion of field lines. The unperturbed magnetic field topology of a single-null divertor tokamak is represented by the symmetric simple map. The coil is placed across from the X-point on the line joining the X-point and the O-point at a fixed distance from the last good confining surface. The effects of coil on the stochastic layer and magnetic footprint are calculated using the symmetric simple map and the dipole map. Self-similarities, singularities, and topological equivalences in the pattern of physical parameters are found that characterize the stochastic layer and the magnetic footprint. The dipole perturbation increases the area of footprint, drastically reduces the fraction of heat flux escaping the stochastic layer, disperses the heat flux more evenly over a wider area, and reduces number of hotspots on the collector plate.