A drift-kinetic analytical model for scrape-off layer plasma dynamics at arbitrary collisionality

Abstract

A drift-kinetic model to describe the plasma dynamics in the scrape-off layer region of tokamak devices at arbitrary collisionality is derived. Our formulation is based on a gyroaveraged Lagrangian description of the charged particle motion, and the corresponding drift-kinetic Boltzmann equation that includes a full Coulomb collision operator. Using a Hermite–Laguerre velocity space decomposition of the gyroaveraged distribution function, a set of equations to evolve the coefficients of the expansion is presented. By evaluating explicitly the moments of the Coulomb collision operator, distribution functions arbitrarily far from equilibrium can be studied at arbitrary collisionalities. A fluid closure in the high-collisionality limit is presented, and the corresponding fluid equations are compared with previously derived fluid models.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Nov 20, 2017
Source ID
10.1017/s002237781700085x

Entities

People

  • N. F. Loureiro
  • P. Ricci
  • Rogério Jorge

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Linear Algebra
  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics

Technology Areas

  • Space