Spontaneous rotation sources in a quiescent tokamak edge plasma

Abstract

Spontaneous rotation sources in a quiescent tokamak edge plasma are studied without an external momentum source, such as, beam injected or wall-born neutrals. Discussions are based upon example neoclassical solutions from an edge gyrokinetic particle code. The main study is performed in a DIII-D plasma [J. L. Luxon, Nucl. Fusion 42, 614 (2002)] with the ion Grad-B drift directed toward the single-null divertor. Comparison with a reversed Grad-B drift case is also shown. It is found that there is a robust spontaneous co-current toroidal plasma rotation source in the far scrape-off plasma due to the wall sheath effect. As the edge pedestal width becomes narrower, the co-current rotation in the far scrape-off becomes weaker, but there appears a stronger co-current rotation in the pedestal top/shoulder from the X-point orbit loss effect, possibly providing a co-rotation boundary condition to the core plasma. Reversal of the magnetic field and plasma current brings down the overall co-rotation, especially in the far scrape-off plasma. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.