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Title: Intermittent fluctuations in the Alcator C-Mod scrape-off layer for ohmic and high confinement mode plasmas

Journal Article · · Physics of Plasmas
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5018709· OSTI ID:1540162

Plasma fluctuations in the scrape-off layer of the Alcator C-Mod tokamak in ohmic and high confinement modes have been analyzed using gas puff imaging data. In all cases investigated, the time series of emission from a single spatially resolved view into the gas puff are dominated by large-amplitude bursts, attributed to blob-like filament structures moving radially outwards and poloidally. There is a remarkable similarity of the fluctuation statistics in ohmic plasmas and in edge localized mode-free and enhanced D-alpha high confinement mode plasmas. Conditionally averaged waveforms have a two-sided exponential shape with comparable temporal scales and asymmetry, while the burst amplitudes and the waiting times between them are exponentially distributed. The probability density functions and the frequency power spectral densities are similar for all these confinement modes. These results provide strong evidence in support of a stochastic model describing the plasma fluctuations in the scrape-off layer as a super-position of uncorrelated exponential pulses. Predictions of this model are in excellent agreement with experimental measurements in both ohmic and high confinement mode plasmas. Finally, the stochastic model thus provides a valuable tool for predicting fluctuation-induced plasma–wall interactions in magnetically confined fusion plasmas.

Research Organization:
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
FC02-99ER54512; FC02-99ER54512- CMOD
OSTI ID:
1540162
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1427326
Journal Information:
Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 25, Issue 5; ISSN 1070-664X
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 12 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (5)

Universality of Poisson-driven plasma fluctuations in the Alcator C-Mod scrape-off layer journal December 2018
Filament-assisted mode conversion in magnetized plasmas journal January 2020
Three-dimensional plasma edge turbulence simulations of the Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak and comparison with experimental measurements journal August 2019
Universality of Poisson-driven plasma fluctuations in the Alcator C-Mod scrape-off layer preprint January 2018
Blob interactions in 2D scrape-off layer simulations journal December 2020

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