Global gyrokinetic simulation of magnetic island induced ion temperature gradient turbulence in toroidal plasma

Abstract

The characteristics of ion temperature gradient (ITG) turbulence in the presence of a magnetic island are numerically investigated using a gyrokinetic model. We observe that in the absence of the usual ITG drive gradient, a solitary magnetic island alone can drive ITG instability. The magnetic island not only drives high-n modes of ITG instability but also induces low-n modes of vortex flow. Moreover, as the magnetic island width increases, the width of the vortex flow also increases. This implies that wider islands may more easily induce vortex flows. The study further indicates that the saturated amplitude and transport level of MI-induced ITG turbulence vary with different magnetic island widths. In general, larger magnetic islands enhance both particle and heat transport. When the magnetic island is of the order of 21 times the ion gyroradius (21\{rho}_i), the turbulence-driven transport level can reach the same level in cases where ITG is driven by pressure gradients.