Linear multispecies gyrokinetic flux tube benchmarks in shaped tokamak plasmas

Verification is the fundamental step that any turbulence simulation code has to be submitted in order to assess the proper implementation of the underlying equations. We have carried out a cross comparison of three flux tube gyrokinetic codes, GENE [F. Jenko et al., Phys. Plasmas 7, 1904 (2000)], GKW [A. G. Peeters et al., Comput. Phys. Commun. 180, 2650 (2009)], and GS2 [W. Dorland et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 5579 (2000)], focusing our attention on the effect of realistic geometries described by a series of MHD equilibria with increasing shaping complexity. To simplify the effort, the benchmark has been limited to the electrostatic collisionless linear behaviour of the system. A fully gyrokinetic model has been used to describe the dynamics of both ions and electrons. Several tests have been carried out looking at linear stability at ion and electron scales, where for the assumed profiles Ion Temperature Gradient (ITG)/Trapped Electron Modes and Electron Temperature Gradient modes are unstable. The capability of the codes to handle a non-zero ballooning angle has been successfully benchmarked in the ITG regime. Finally, the standard Rosenbluth-Hinton test has been successfully carried out looking at the effect of shaping on Zonal Flows (ZFs) and Geodesic Acoustic Modes (GAMs). Inter-code comparison as well as validation of simulation results against analytical estimates has been accomplished. All the performed tests confirm that plasma elongation strongly stabilizes plasma instabilities as well as leads to a strong increase in ZF residual and GAM damping.