A unified treatment of kinetic effects in a tokamak pedestal

Journal article, 2011

We consider the effects of a finite pedestal radial electric field on ion orbits using a unified approach. We then employ these modified orbit results to retain finite E×B drift departures from flux surfaces in an improved drift-kinetic equation. The procedure allows us to make a clear distinction between transit averages and flux surface averages when solving this kinetic equation. The technique outlined here is intended to clarify and unify recent evaluations of the banana regime decrease and plateau regime alterations in the ion heat diffusivity; the reduction and possible reversal of the poloidal flow in the banana regime, and its augmentation in the plateau regime; the increase in the bootstrap current; and the enhancement of the residual zonal flow regulation of turbulence.