Linear global gyrokinetic simulations of toroidal Alfven eigenmodes in KSTAR plasmas

Excitation of toroidal Alfven eigenmodes (TAEs) in KSTAR tokamak plasmas has been studied by using the GENE code. Verification and benchmark analysis are performed for Alfven eigenmodes (AEs) excited by the energetic particles (EPs) in comparison with the AEs from the GYGLES code, and excellent agreements are found. In addition, the threshold value of the EP density gradient to destabilize the TAE has been investigated. For the plasma equilibrium of KSTAR discharge (10574), TAEs of n = 2 are found to be excited by coupling of adjoining poloidal harmonics (5, 6), (6, 7), and (7, 8). The dependence of the growth rate and frequency of the TAE on the EP density gradient is examined. It is found that the threshold value of EP density gradient increases with the higher poloidal mode coupling, of which location moves outward in the radial direction. The growth rates of TAEs with higher poloidal mode numbers are smaller than those with lower poloidal mode numbers, indicating that perpendicular wavenumbers play an important role. The efficiency of the EP drive for the TAE decreases for a higher poloidal mode coupling. At a higher EP density gradient, TAEs with higher poloidal harmonics are less unstable due to the decrease in the radial extents of the modes.