Validation of comprehensive magnetohydrodynamic hybrid simulations for Alfvén eigenmode induced energetic particle transport in DIII-D plasmas
Abstract
A multi-phase simulation, which is a combination of classical simulation and hybrid simulation for energetic particles interacting with a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) fluid including neutral beam injection, slowing-down, and pitch angle scattering, is applied to DIII-D discharge #142111 where the fast ion spatial profile is significantly flattened due to multiple Alfvén eigenmodes (AEs). The large fast ion pressure profile flattening observed experimentally is successfully reproduced by these first of a kind comprehensive simulations. Temperature fluctuations due to three of the dominant toroidal Alfvén eigenmodes in the simulation results are compared in detail with electron cyclotron emission measurements in the experiment. It is demonstrated that the temperature fluctuation profile and the phase profile are in very good agreement with the measurement, and the amplitude is also in agreement within a factor of two. This level of agreement validates the multi-phase hybrid simulation for the prediction of AE activity and alpha particle transport in burning plasmas.
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