Plasma and Fusion Research
Online ISSN : 1880-6821
ISSN-L : 1880-6821
Regular Articles
Interaction of Mean and Oscillating Plasma Flows Across Confinement Mode Transitions
Garrard D. CONWAYEmanuele POLITim HAPPELthe ASDEX Upgrade Team
Author information
JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2010 Volume 5 Pages S2005

Details
Abstract

The interaction of mean plasma flows (driven by equilibrium E×B forces) and oscillating plasma flows - such as zonal flows (ZFs) and geodesic acoustic modes (GAMs) - (radially localized E × B plasma flows generated by non-linear turbulence interactions) is investigated in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak using Doppler reflectometry. ZFs and GAMs play an important role in magnetic confinement devices by enhancing the velocity shearing of turbulent eddies which reduces turbulent cross-field transport. Although the GAM is universally observed across the plasma edge gradient region of ohmic and additionally heated low confinement L-mode regimes, it is not seen in the high confinement H-mode. Using slow power ramping of the additional ECRH and NBI heating systems the behaviour of the edge GAM, and its interaction with the mean flow shear, i.e. the radial electric field Er profile, across the L to H-mode transition are studied. As the edge Er well deepens with improving confinement, the associated negative Er shear region narrows and the radial extent of the GAM shrinks. The main feature, however, is the movement of spectral power out of the coherent GAM into large amplitude, low frequency random flow perturbations. It is speculated that these flow perturbations may play a role in the triggering of the confinement transition.

Content from these authors
© 2010 by The Japan Society of Plasma Science and Nuclear Fusion Research
Previous article Next article
feedback
Top