Shift of Magnetic Flux Surfaces in a Thin Poloidal Flow Layer of a Tokamak H-mode PlasmaShift of Magnetic Flux Surfaces in a Thin Poloidal Flow Layer of a Tokamak H-mode Plasma

Abstract

The shift of magnetic flux surfaces in a large-flow layer of a tokamak H-mode plasma is studied in the Shafranov geometry, which assumes axisymmetry, a large toroidal aspect ratio, circular flux surfaces, and a low plasma beta (= plasma energy/magnetic energy). It is shown in a thin radial layer that the additional shift of the magnetic surfaces due to large poloidal mass flow, over and above the usual shift due to the plasma thermal energy and self inductance, can be significant. The neoclassical viscosity effect is found to be small.