Runaway dynamics in tokamak disruptions with current relaxation

Journal article, 2022

The safe operation of tokamak reactors requires a reliable modelling capability of disruptions, and in particular the spatio-temporal dynamics of associated runaway electron currents. In a disruption, instabilities can break up magnetic surfaces into chaotic field line regions, causing current profile relaxation, as well as a rapid radial transport of heat and particles. Using a mean-field helicity transport model implemented in the disruption runaway modelling framework Dream, we calculate the dynamics of runaway electrons in the presence of current relaxation events. In scenarios where flux surfaces remain intact in parts of the plasma, a skin current is induced at the boundary of the intact magnetic field region. This skin current region becomes an important centre concerning the subsequent dynamics: it may turn into a hot ohmic current channel, or a sizeable radially localized runaway beam, depending on the heat transport. If the intact region is in the plasma edge, runaway generation in the countercurrent direction can occur, which may develop into a sizeable reverse runaway beam. Even when the current relaxation extends to the entire plasma, the final runaway current density profile can be significantly affected, as the induced electric field is reduced in the core and increased in the edge, thereby shifting the centre of runaway generation towards the edge.