Adaptive mesh simulations of multi-physics processes during pellet injection in tokamaks

Abstract

We present the results of fully 3D adaptive mesh MHD simulations of fueling pellets injected into tokamaks. The Chombo framework for block structured local adaptive mesh refinement (AMR), extended to use the equilibrium magnetic coordinates, is employed to mitigate the problems due to the large range of spatial scales. Generalized upwinding techniques are employed to deal with sharp gradients. The modeling includes a semi-analytical kinetic treatment of the transport of electron energy flux which drives the ablation. We discuss the phenomenology of the mass redistribution processes involving the density equilibrating along field lines and transport across surfaces (in the large-major-radius direction). © 2007 IOP Publishing Ltd.