Multichannel Radial Transport Simulation of a Rapidly-Rotating Axisymmetric Plasma

The Maryland Nonlinear Transport Analyzer (MaNTA) is a one-dimensional numerical framework with the goal of providing observing nonlinear radial diffusion in axisymmetric plasmas. MaNTa solves coupled multichannel reaction-diffusion equations and can resolve transient effects. MaNTa utilises a one-dimensional, radial, finite-element, hybridized discontinuous galerkin (HDG) model [Nguyen, N.C., Peraire, J. and Cockburn, B., 2009. Journal of Computational Physics, 228(9), pp.3232-3254 and 228(23), pp.8841-8855.]. The SUNDIALS IDA package is used to provide a multi-step implicit backward differentiation formula (BDF) to model the time integration of the equations. By integrating the Sherman-Morrison formula into the HDG model, global sources and constraints can be modeled. MaNTa has been used to simulate the radial profile of the Centrifugal Mirror Fusion Experiment (CMFX), an experimental reactor currently operating at the University of Maryland [Romero Talamas, C., 2023, this conference]. The theory underlying the heat, momentum, and particle transport within CMFX is based on the same model as MCTrans++[Schwarz et. al., 2023, arXiv:2304.01496]. The coupling of the transport of such thermodynamic quantities allows the co-dependent nature of their fluxes to be investigated. This case study provides scoping, and design analysis for the experiment. Once sufficient experimental results have been acquired, MaNTa will be used for theory validation and iteration.