학술논문

Electron kinetics inferred from observations of microwave bursts during edge localised modes in the Mega-Amp Spherical Tokamak
Document Type
Working Paper
Source
Physical Review Letters, Vol.114, pp.125004 (2015)
Subject
Physics - Plasma Physics
Language
Abstract
Recent measurements of microwave and X-ray emission during edge localised mode (ELM) activity in tokamak plasmas provide a fresh perspective on ELM physics. It is evident that electron kinetics, which are not incorporated in standard (fluid) models for the instability that drives ELMs, play a key role in the new observations. These effects should be included in future models for ELMs and the ELM cycle. The observed radiative effects paradoxically imply acceleration of electrons parallel to the magnetic field combined with rapid acquisition of perpendicular momentum. It is shown that this paradox can be resolved by the action of the anomalous Doppler instability which enables fast collective radiative relaxation, in the perpendicular direction, of electrons accelerated in the parallel direction by inductive electric fields generated by the initial ELM instability.
Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures