Effects of Alpha Particle Transport Driven by Alfvénic Instabilities on Proposed Burning Plasma Scenarios on ITER

The consistency of proposed burning plasma scenarios with Alfvénic instabilities driven by alpha particles is investigated. If the alpha particle pressure is above the threshold for resonant excitation of Energetic Particle driven Modes (EPMs), significant modification of the alpha particle pressure profile can take place. Model simulations are performed using the Hybrid MHD-Gyrokinetic Code (HMGC) retaining relevant thermal-plasma parameters, safety factor and alpha particle pressure profiles. ITER monotonic-q and reversed-shear scenarios are considered. A “hybrid” ITER scenario is also studied and quantitatively compared with the previous ones. We find that, unlike the latter, the former equilibria are unstable. Nonlinear effects on the alpha-particle pressure profile result, however, to be negligible for the monotonic-q case. They can instead be relevant for the reversed-shear scenario. The assessment of such a conclusion requires further investigations concerning the possibility that the strong EPM instability is regulated, in realistic conditions, by nonlinear effects of weaker Alfvén modes.