Guiding-centre and full-Lorentz orbit solving in 3D magnetic coordinates for fast particle simulations

Designed to accurately solve the motion of energetic particles in the presence of 3D magnetic fields, the VENUS-LEVIS code leans on a non-canonical general coordinate Lagrangian formulation of the equations of motion. It switches between full-orbit particle following and guiding-centre tracing by verifying the perpendicular variation of magnetic vector field, not only including gradients and curvature terms but also the shearing of field-lines. The criteria is particularly relevant for the study of fast ion redistribution in the kinked core of hybrid plasmas, where the compression of flux-surfaces against the axisymmetric outer mantle creates strongly varying magnetic field-lines and large parallel currents. Slowing-down simulations of NBI fast ions show that co-passing particles helically align in the opposite side of the plasma deformation whereas counter-passing particles are barely affected by the kinked structure. Results are compared with experimental neutron camera traces and FIDA measurements during long-lived modes (LLM).