PLASMA-CONFINEMENT IN THE M=1, N=1 KINK DISTORTED TOKAMAK CENTRAL CORE

It is shown that the kink distortion of the magnetic axis and, as a consequence, the variation of the magnetic field along magnetic surfaces in the toroidal direction lead to a new type of 'superbanana' particle orbits and can drastically change the classical particle and heat transport in the central core. The phenomena discussed have a time-scale of congruent-to 10(-3) s and seem to be too slow to affect the sawtooth crash process (which is an order of magnitude faster). They can, however, influence the evolution of the plasma parameters between crashes, the formation of 'snakes' and other phenomena in the central plasma inside the q = 1 magnetic surface.