Physics of Alfvén waves and energetic particles in burning plasmas
Open Access
- 23 March 2016
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Physical Society (APS) in Reviews of Modern Physics
- Vol. 88 (1), 015008
- https://doi.org/10.1103/revmodphys.88.015008
Abstract
Dynamics of shear Alfvén waves and energetic particles are crucial to the performance of burning fusion plasmas. This article reviews linear as well as nonlinear physics of shear Alfvén waves and their self-consistent interaction with energetic particles in tokamak fusion devices. More specifically, the review on the linear physics deals with wave spectral properties and collective excitations by energetic particles via wave-particle resonances. The nonlinear physics deals with nonlinear wave-wave interactions as well as nonlinear wave-energetic particle interactions. Both linear as well as nonlinear physics demonstrate the qualitatively important roles played by realistic equilibrium nonuniformities, magnetic field geometries, and the specific radial mode structures in determining the instability evolution, saturation, and, ultimately, energetic-particle transport. These topics are presented within a single unified theoretical framework, where experimental observations and numerical simulation results are referred to elucidate concepts and physics processes.Funding Information
- U.S. Department of Energy
- National Science Foundation
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- EURATOM/ENEA
- European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (633053, ER14-ENEA_Frascati-01, ER15-ENEA-03)
- National Magnetically Confined Fusion Energy Research Program of China (NMCFERP-CN)
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