41st EPS Conference on Plasma Physics

I4.112

Influence of finite ion temperature on plasma blob dymanics

P. Manz1,2 , G. Birkenmeier2 , D. Carralero2 , G. Fuchert3 , H.W. Mller2 , S.H. Mller4 ,
B.D. Scott2 , U. Stroth2,1 , E. Wolfrum 2 and the ASDEX Upgrade Team
1

Physik-Department E28, Technische Universitt Mnchen, Garching, Germany

2

Max-Planck-Institut fr Plasmaphysik, Garching, Germany

IJL, Universite de Lorraine, CNRS (UMR 7198), BP 40239, Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy,

`
France
4

CMTFO, University of California at San Diego, USA

One of the critical issues of magnetically confined fusion devices is the exhaust of particles
and heat without seriously damaging the vessel walls of the device. The transport in the region
of open field lines beyond the confined region, called scape-off layer (SOL), is dominated by
filamentary structures also called plasma blobs. Blob motion has been extensively studied in
fusion devices and basic low-temperature experiments, where especially the latter show very
satisfying results compared with the present theory implying a robust theoretical description
of the plasma blob dynamics. On the other hand the experimental results in high-temperature
fusion experiments are less satisfactory. The reason for this discrepancy might be related to the
fact that most of the blob theories and simulations invoke cold ion models. While Ti Te is
realistic for most basic plasma physics experiments, it is not realistic for the tokamak scrape-off
layer (SOL), where Ti > Te is typical.
An analytic model for blob propagation has been derived for finite ion temperatures based
on a full drift-interchange-Alfvn fluid model. The general expression derived reduces to the
standard blob model in the cold ion case. It will be shown how the ion temperature affects
the dynamics of the blob and modifies the scaling laws for blob velocity in dependence of
blob size. For instance, the ion temperature enhances the interchange drive, which is responsible for charge separation, propagation and therefore for the transport capabilities of the blobs.
Furthermore, it leads to polarisation currents and thus alters the vorticity. Simplifications for experimentally relevant sheath dissipation, collisional and electromagnetic regimes are discussed.
A detailed comparison of the analytic results with experimental data from ASDEX Upgrade
is used to demonstrate the effect of the ion temperature on blob propagation. In addition the
analytic model is compared with data from gyrofluid simulations on open field lines done with
the GEMR code.