Global particle-in-cell simulations of Alfvénic modes

Abstract

Abstract. Global linear gyro-kinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of electromagnetic modes in pinch and tokamak geometries are reported. The Toroidal Alfvén Eigenmode and the Kinetic Ballooning Mode have been simulated. All plasma species have been treated kinetically (i.e. no hybrid fluid-kinetic or reduced-kinetic model has been applied). The main intention of the paper is to demonstrate that the global Alfvén modes can be treated with the gyro-kinetic PIC method.

Global particle-in-cell simulations of fast-particle effects on shear Alfvén waves

“…[18]. In this paper, we will focus now on the self-consistent PIC simulations of shear Alfvén waves destabilized by fast particles.…”

“…[18]). The dominant frequency, ω = 0.413 × 10 6 rad/s, agrees well with the ideal MHD frequency of the corresponding TAE mode ω MHD = 0.414×10 6 rad/s (see Fig.…”

“…In the present paper, we use a global gyrokinetic particle-in-cell code GYGLES [18] to simulate both the unstable TAE modes and the EPM instabilities in a unified manner.…”

“…Numerically, the TAE modes have also been studied by many authors. For example, they have been simulated using the reduced kinetic approach [13], the first-principle global gyrokinetic eigenvalue approach [14,15], the electron-fluid ion-kinetic hybrid gyrokinetic model [16,17], and using the global gyrokinetic particle-in-cell (PIC) code [18].…”

Mitigation of the cancellation problem in the gyrokinetic particle-in-cell simulations of global electromagnetic modes

“…[15]. Due to the progress made in understanding the numerical issues inhibiting the electromagnetic gyrokinetic codes, it has become possible to simulate Alfvénic physics using the global gyrokinetic particle-in-cell code GYGLES: Toroidal Alfvén Eigenmodes (TAE) [16][17][18][19], Global Alfvén Eigenmodes [16], the internal m = 1, n = 1 kink mode and m = 1, n = 1 reconnecting modes [20]. Later on, another approach to the mitigation of the cancellation problem has been developed [21].…”