Simulations of energetic alpha particle loss in the presence of toroidal field ripple in the CFETR tokamak

Abstract

Abstract Energetic alpha particle losses with the toroidal field ripple and the Coulomb collision in the CFETR tokamak have been simulated by using the orbit-following code GYCAVA for the steady-state and hybrid scenarios. The effects of the outer boundary and the ripple amplitude on alpha particle losses have been investigated. The loss fractions and heat loads of alpha particles in the hybrid scenario are much smaller than those in the steady-state scenario for a significant ripple amplitude. Some alpha particles in the plasma core are lost due to the ripple stochastic transport for a large ripple amplitude parameter. The heat loads with the last closed flux surface boundary are different from those with the wall boundary for the CFETR tokamak, which can be explained by typical alpha particle orbits. Discrete heat load spots have been observed in alpha particle loss simulations, which is due to the ripple well loss. The transition of the lost alpha particle behavior from the ripple stochastic diffusion to the ripple well trapping has been identified in our CFETR simulations. The Coulomb collision effect is responsible for this transition.