Cross-scale Dynamo Action in Multiscale Plasma Turbulence

Abstract

The interplay mechanism between electromagnetic (EM) and electrostatic (ES) turbulence is explored using direct gyrofluid simulations of mixed resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and ion-scale microinstability. With an elucidation based on a minimal model, we propose a new concept of cross-scale dynamo action induced by microturbulence as the mechanism responsible for the interaction between multiscale ES and EM turbulence. The dynamo appears as a novel magnetic island seesaw oscillation pivoting around the singular surface. This island seesaw mechanism may be applicable to relaxation of mode locking in tokamaks to mitigate major disruptions, suggesting a promising nonlinear approach to plasma control.