Kinetic simulations of turbulent fusion plasmas

In contrast to neutral fluid turbulence described in three-dimensional (3D) configuration space, collisionless magnetised plasma turbulence has been studied using the gyrokinetic model, which is a reduced kinetic model of a plasma in 5D phase space. Recent advances in computer technology and simulation models enabled a direct numerical simulation of plasma turbulence in a toroidal configuration with experimentally relevant parameters. Such kinetic simulations have been established as an essential tool for studying turbulent transport in a fusion plasma. This overview summarises progress in kinetic simulations of turbulent fusion plasmas focusing on physical and numerical models and physical findings obtained from 5D gyrokinetic simulations. To cite this article: Y. Idomura et al., C. R. Physique 7 (2006).