Evidence and modeling of turbulence bifurcation in L-mode confinement transitions on Alcator C-Mod

Cao, N. M.; Rice, J. E.; Diamond, P. H.; White, A. E.; Chilenski, M. A.; Ennever, P. C.; Hughes, J. W.; Irby, J.; Reinke, M. L.; Rodriguez-Fernandez, P.

doi:10.1063/1.5144444

Evidence and modeling of turbulence bifurcation in L-mode confinement transitions on Alcator C-Mod

Journal Article · Thu May 14 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5144444· OSTI ID:2567782

; ; ; White, A. E.; ; Ennever, P. C.; ; Irby, J.; ;

Analysis and modeling of rotation reversal hysteresis experiments show that a single turbulent bifurcation is responsible for the Linear to Saturated Ohmic Confinement (LOC/SOC) transition and concomitant intrinsic rotation reversal on Alcator C-Mod. Plasmas on either side of the reversal exhibit different toroidal rotation profiles and therefore different turbulence characteristics despite the profiles of density and temperature, which are indistinguishable within measurement uncertainty. Elements of this bifurcation are also shown to persist for auxiliary heated L-modes. The deactivation of subdominant (in the linear growth rate and contribution to heat transport) ion temperature gradient and trapped electron mode instabilities is identified as the only possible change in turbulence within a reduced quasilinear transport model across the reversal, which is consistent with the measured profiles and inferred heat and particle fluxes. Experimental constraints on a possible change from strong to weak turbulence, outside the description of the quasilinear model, are also discussed. These results indicate an explanation for the LOC/SOC transition that provides a mechanism for the hysteresis through the dynamics of subdominant modes and changes in their relative populations and does not involve a change in the most linearly unstable ion-scale drift-wave instability.

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Research Organization:: Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) (SC-24)

Contributing Organization:: Alcator C-Mod Team

Grant/Contract Number:: FC02-99ER54512; FG02-04ER54738; SC0014264

OSTI ID:: 2567782

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1618588
OSTI ID: 1618845

Journal Information:: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 27; ISSN 1070-664X

Publisher:: American Institute of PhysicsCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Evidence and modeling of turbulence bifurcation in L-mode confinement transitions on Alcator C-Mod

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