학술논문

Modelling of runaway electron dynamics during argon-induced disruptions in ASDEX Upgrade and JET.
Document Type
Article
Source
Plasma Physics & Controlled Fusion. Aug2021, Vol. 63 Issue 8, p1-13. 13p.
Subject
*ELECTRONS
*PLASMA currents
*ARGON plasmas
*ELECTRON temperature
*PLASMA instabilities
Language
ISSN
0741-3335
Abstract
Disruptions in tokamak plasmas may lead to the generation of runaway electrons that have the potential to damage plasma-facing components. Improved understanding of the runaway generation process requires interpretative modelling of experiments. In this work we simulate eight discharges in the ASDEX Upgrade and JET tokamaks, where argon gas was injected to trigger the disruption. We use a fluid modelling framework with the capability to model the generation of runaway electrons through the hot-tail, Dreicer and avalanche mechanisms, as well as runaway electron losses. Using experimentally based initial values of plasma current and electron temperature and density, we can reproduce the plasma current evolution using realistic assumptions about temperature evolution and assimilation of the injected argon in the plasma. The assumptions and results are similar for the modelled discharges in ASDEX Upgrade and JET. For the modelled discharges in ASDEX Upgrade, where the initial temperature was comparatively high, we had to assume that a large fraction of the hot-tail runaway electrons were lost in order to reproduce the measured current evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]