Global turbulence simulations of the tokamak edge region with GRILLIX

Abstract

Turbulent dynamics in the scrape-off layer of magnetic fusion devices is intermittent with large fluctuations in density and pressure. Therefore, a model is required that allows perturbations of similar or even larger magnitude to the time-averaged background value. The fluid-turbulence code GRILLIX is extended to such a global model, which consistently accounts for large variation in plasma parameters. Derived from the drift reduced Braginskii equations, the new GRILLIX model includes electromagnetic and electron-thermal dynamics, retains global parametric dependencies and the Boussinesq approximation is not applied. The penalization technique is combined with the flux-coordinate independent approach [F. Hariri and M. Ottaviani, Comput. Phys. Commun. 184, 2419 (2013) and A. Stegmeir et al., Comput. Phys. Commun. 198, 139 (2016)], which allows to study realistic diverted geometries with X-point(s) and general boundary contours. We characterize results from turbulence simulations and investigate the effect of geometry by comparing simulations in circular geometry with toroidal limiter against realistic diverted geometry at otherwise comparable parameters. Turbulence is found to be intermittent with relative fluctuation levels of up to 40% showing that a global description is indeed important. At the same time via direct comparison, we find that the Boussinesq approximation has only a small quantitative impact in a turbulent environment. In comparison to circular geometry, the fluctuations are reduced in diverted geometry, which is related to a different zonal flow structure. Moreover, the fluctuation level has a more complex spatial distribution in diverted geometry. Due to local magnetic shear, which differs fundamentally in circular and diverted geometries, turbulent structures become strongly distorted in the perpendicular direction and are eventually damped away toward the X-point.