G. G. Plunk P. Helander P. Xanthopoulos J. W. Connor
We investigate the linear theory of the ion-temperature-gradient (ITG) mode, with the goal of developing a general understanding that may be applied to stellarators. We highlight the Wendelstein 7X (W7-X) device. Simple fluid and kinetic models that follow closely from existing literature are reviewed and two new first-principle models are presente…
PublishedJ. H. E. Proll P. Helander J.W. Connor G. G. Plunk
It is shown that in perfectly quasi-isodynamic stellarators, trapped particles with a bounce frequency much higher than the frequency of the instability are stabilizing in the electrostatic and collisionless limit. The collisionless trapped-particle instability is therefore stable as well as the ordinary electron-densitygradient- driven trapped-ele…
PublishedT. Tatsuno W. Dorland A. A. Schekochihin G. G. Plunk M. Barnes S. C. Cowley G. G. Howes
Electrostatic turbulence in weakly collisional, magnetized plasma can be interpreted as a cascade of entropy in phase space, which is proposed as a universal mechanism for dissipation of energy in magnetized plasma turbulence. When the nonlinear decorrelation time at the scale of the thermal Larmor radius is shorter than the collision time, a broad…
Published