Dual Hot Flux Ropes in the Tokamak Core

POSTER

Abstract

Dual hot flux ropes interacting in the core of the KSTAR plasmas heated by electron cyclotron resonant waves have been observed by a 2-D ECE imaging diagnostic [1]. The hot flux ropes formed along the m/n=1/1 helical magnetic fields evolve in four distinctive phases: (1) slow growth of a flux rope in the core, (2) sudden emergence of another smaller flux rope co-rotating with the first one, (3) merging of the two, and (4) fast localized crash similar to the sawtooth crash [2]. The observed merging process is consistent with a simple model of two current-carrying wires confined on a flux surface. Implications to the sawtooth control and relevance to the dynamics of solar coronal loops are discussed.\\[4pt] [1] G.S. Yun et al., Rev. Sci. Instr. 81 (2010)\\[0pt] [2] H.K. Park et al., this conference.

Authors

  • G.S. Yun

    Postech

  • H.K. Park

    Postech

  • W. Lee

    Postech

  • M.J. Choi

    Postech

  • S.W. Yoon

    NFRI, National Fusion Research Institute

  • Y.M. Jeon

    NFRI, Korea, National Fusion Research Institute, NFRI

  • J.H. Lee

    NFRI, National Fusion Research Institute

  • C.W. Domier

    University of California at Davis, University of California, Davis, University of California Davis, Univ. of California, Davis

  • N.C. Luhmann, Jr.

    University of California at Davis, University of California, Davis, U. California-Davis, University of California Davis, Univ. of California, Davis

  • B.J. Tobias

    Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

  • A.J.H. Donn\'e

    FOM Inst. of Plasma Physics, FOM Institute for Plasma Physics