Global Theory to Understand Toroidal Drift Waves in Steep Gradient

Toroidal drift waves with unconventional mode structures and non-ground eigenstates, which differ from typical ballooning structure mode, are found to be important recently by large scale global gyrokinetic simulations and especially become dominant at strong gradient edge plasmas [cf., Xie and Xiao, Phys. Plasmas, 22, 090703 (2015)]. The global stability and mode structures of drift wave in this steep edge density and temperature gradients are examined by both direct numerical solutions of a model two-dimensional eigen equation and analytical theory employing WKB-ballooning approach. Theory agrees with numerical solutions quite well. Our results indicate that (i) non-ground eigenstates and unconventional mode structures generally exist and can be roughly described by two parameters `quantum number' $l$ and ballooning angle $\vartheta_k$, (ii) local model can overestimate the growth rate largely, say, $>50\%$, and (iii) the narrow steep equilibrium profile leads to twisting (triangle-like) radial mode structures. With velocity space integral, semi-local theory predicts that the critical jump gradient of the most unstable ion temperature gradient mode from ground state $l=0$ to non-ground state $l=1$ is $L_T^{-1}R\sim50$. These features can have important consequences to turbulent transport.