Magnetohydrodynamics modelling of H-mode plasma response to external resonant magnetic perturbations

The response of an H-mode plasma to Resonant Magnetic Perturbations (RMPs) generated by so-called “I-coils” in DIII-D experiments on type I edge localized modes suppression is modelled using the nonlinear reduced magnetohydrodynamics (with zero-$β$⁠, i.e. zero plasma temperature, in the version used here) code JOREK in X-point geometry. JOREK self-consistently advances in time the magnetic flux, vorticity, and plasma density in the presence of the RMPs. Without any toroidal rotation, the magnetic response from the plasma does not significantly modify the islands widths. A radial convective $E⃗×B⃗$ plasma transport is observed to occur in the presence of the RMPs. The possibility that this mechanism could explain the enhanced density transport observed experimentally in DIII-D is discussed. Simulations with a rigid-body-like rotation at a fixed velocity shows evidence of a screening of the RMPs. The extension of our results to realistic parameters is discussed.