Hybrid kinetic-MHD simulation on the formation of runaway electron current plateau during a current quench process

Abstract

Runaway electron (RE) generation is of great concern for high-current tokamak operations. A full-f particle-in-cell (PIC) model for RE dynamics has been developed and coupled with the 3D nonlinear extended magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model implemented in the NIMROD code. Our model accounts for RE generation using analytical source terms and advances the RE motion along guiding-center (GC) orbits. The model was employed to simulate the formation of RE current plateau during a disruption, in which the plasma current becomes dominated by the RE current. The model agrees well with several RE codes based on fluid models when the RE GC drifts are ignored. For highly relativistic REs, the grad-$B$ and curvature drifts can play a significant role in the RE generation and motion due to the increase in the safety factor profile during the current quench process.