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Title: Observation of trapped-electron-mode microturbulence in reversed field pinch plasmas

Journal Article · · Physics of Plasmas
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5010198· OSTI ID:1524582

Density fluctuations in the large-density-gradient region of improved confinement Madison Symmetric Torus reversed field pinch (RFP) plasmas exhibit multiple features that are characteristic of the trapped-electron mode (TEM). Core transport in conventional RFP plasmas is governed by magnetic stochasticity stemming from multiple long-wavelength tearing modes. Using inductive current profile control, these tearing modes are reduced, and global confinement is increased to that expected for comparable tokamak plasmas. Under these conditions, new short-wavelength fluctuations distinct from global tearing modes appear in the spectrum at a frequency of f ~ 50 kHz, which have normalized perpendicular wave numbers kρs≲0.2 and propagate in the electron diamagnetic drift direction. They exhibit a critical-gradient threshold, and the fluctuation amplitude increases with the local electron density gradient. These characteristics are consistent with predictions from gyrokinetic analysis using the Gene code, including increased TEM turbulence and transport from the interaction of remnant tearing magnetic fluctuations and zonal flow.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)
Grant/Contract Number:
FC02-05ER54814; FG02-01ER54615
OSTI ID:
1524582
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1415156
Journal Information:
Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 25, Issue 1; ISSN 1070-664X
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 9 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (3)

Development of a multi-channel capacitive probe for electric field measurements with fine spatial and high time resolution journal October 2018
Electron temperature gradient driven instabilities in helical reversed-field pinch plasmas journal April 2019
Properties of ubiquitous modes in tokamak plasmas journal August 2019

Figures / Tables (6)