MMMnet: A Neural Network Surrogate for Real-time Transport Prediction Based on the Updated Multi-Mode Model

The Multi-Mode Model (MMM) is a physics-based anomalous transport model integrated into TRANSP for predicting electron and ion thermal transport, electron and impurity particle transport, and toroidal and poloidal momentum transport. While MMM provides valuable predictive capabilities, its computational cost, though manageable for standard simulations, is too high for real-time control applications. MMMnet, a neural network-based surrogate model, is developed to address this challenge by significantly reducing computation time while maintaining high accuracy. Trained on TRANSP simulations of DIII-D discharges, MMMnet incorporates an updated version of MMM (9.0.10) with enhanced physics, including isotopic effects, plasma shaping via effective magnetic shear, unified correlation lengths for ion-scale modes, and a new physics-based model for the electromagnetic electron temperature gradient mode. A key advancement is MMMnet’s ability to predict all six transport coefficients, providing a comprehensive representation of plasma transport dynamics. MMMnet achieves a two-order-of-magnitude speed improvement while maintaining strong correlation with MMM diffusivities, making it well-suited for real-time tokamak control and scenario optimization.