Statistical properties of the plasma fluctuations and turbulent cross-field fluxes in the outboard mid-plane scrape-off layer of Alcator C-Mod
The Alcator C-Mod mirror Langmuir probe diagnostic is used to characterize plasma fluctuations in the outboard mid-plane scrape-off layer (SOL). Ohmically heated L-mode plasmas with Greenwald fractions from 0.1 to 0.45 are analyzed. In plasmas with a low line-averaged core density, the radial profil...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Nuclear Materials and Energy |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235217911830187X |
| _version_ | 1819067413070610432 |
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| author | R. Kube O.E. Garcia A. Theodorsen A.Q. Kuang B. LaBombard J.L. Terry D. Brunner |
| author_facet | R. Kube O.E. Garcia A. Theodorsen A.Q. Kuang B. LaBombard J.L. Terry D. Brunner |
| author_sort | R. Kube |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Alcator C-Mod mirror Langmuir probe diagnostic is used to characterize plasma fluctuations in the outboard mid-plane scrape-off layer (SOL). Ohmically heated L-mode plasmas with Greenwald fractions from 0.1 to 0.45 are analyzed. In plasmas with a low line-averaged core density, the radial profiles of the average electron density and temperature feature a two-scale structure with a strong gradient in the near-SOL and a weak gradient in the far-SOL. The relative fluctuation levels of the electron density are below 25% throughout the entire SOL and the fluctuation driven heat flux is dominated by plasma density fluctuations. In the plasma with the highest line-averaged core density, the radial profiles of the electron density and temperature feature only a single weak gradient length scale across the SOL. The plasma density at the limiter radius is approximately 10 times larger than in low-density discharges. The average electron temperature at the separatrix falls to approximately 30 eV while the magnitude of the relative temperature fluctuations increases with the line-averaged core plasma density. With increasing plasma density, the fluctuation-driven heat fluxes increase by more than one order of magnitude while retaining a relative fluctuation level of approximately 3. Even though the SOL is on average cooler than in low density discharges, large electron temperature fluctuations govern the turbulence driven heat flux towards the wall while contributions from density fluctuations and triple correlations contribute approximately 35% and 15%, respectively. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T16:17:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8c7f7a547eb7472eb85cea1ef4d8e521 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2352-1791 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T16:17:51Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nuclear Materials and Energy |
| spelling | doaj.art-8c7f7a547eb7472eb85cea1ef4d8e5212022-12-21T18:57:39ZengElsevierNuclear Materials and Energy2352-17912019-01-0118193200Statistical properties of the plasma fluctuations and turbulent cross-field fluxes in the outboard mid-plane scrape-off layer of Alcator C-ModR. Kube0O.E. Garcia1A. Theodorsen2A.Q. Kuang3B. LaBombard4J.L. Terry5D. Brunner6Corresponding author; Department of Physics and Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø N-9037, NorwayDepartment of Physics and Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø N-9037, NorwayDepartment of Physics and Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø N-9037, NorwayMIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Cambridge, MA 02139, United StatesMIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Cambridge, MA 02139, United StatesMIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Cambridge, MA 02139, United StatesCommonwealth Fusion Systems, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United StatesThe Alcator C-Mod mirror Langmuir probe diagnostic is used to characterize plasma fluctuations in the outboard mid-plane scrape-off layer (SOL). Ohmically heated L-mode plasmas with Greenwald fractions from 0.1 to 0.45 are analyzed. In plasmas with a low line-averaged core density, the radial profiles of the average electron density and temperature feature a two-scale structure with a strong gradient in the near-SOL and a weak gradient in the far-SOL. The relative fluctuation levels of the electron density are below 25% throughout the entire SOL and the fluctuation driven heat flux is dominated by plasma density fluctuations. In the plasma with the highest line-averaged core density, the radial profiles of the electron density and temperature feature only a single weak gradient length scale across the SOL. The plasma density at the limiter radius is approximately 10 times larger than in low-density discharges. The average electron temperature at the separatrix falls to approximately 30 eV while the magnitude of the relative temperature fluctuations increases with the line-averaged core plasma density. With increasing plasma density, the fluctuation-driven heat fluxes increase by more than one order of magnitude while retaining a relative fluctuation level of approximately 3. Even though the SOL is on average cooler than in low density discharges, large electron temperature fluctuations govern the turbulence driven heat flux towards the wall while contributions from density fluctuations and triple correlations contribute approximately 35% and 15%, respectively.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235217911830187X |
| spellingShingle | R. Kube O.E. Garcia A. Theodorsen A.Q. Kuang B. LaBombard J.L. Terry D. Brunner Statistical properties of the plasma fluctuations and turbulent cross-field fluxes in the outboard mid-plane scrape-off layer of Alcator C-Mod Nuclear Materials and Energy |
| title | Statistical properties of the plasma fluctuations and turbulent cross-field fluxes in the outboard mid-plane scrape-off layer of Alcator C-Mod |
| title_full | Statistical properties of the plasma fluctuations and turbulent cross-field fluxes in the outboard mid-plane scrape-off layer of Alcator C-Mod |
| title_fullStr | Statistical properties of the plasma fluctuations and turbulent cross-field fluxes in the outboard mid-plane scrape-off layer of Alcator C-Mod |
| title_full_unstemmed | Statistical properties of the plasma fluctuations and turbulent cross-field fluxes in the outboard mid-plane scrape-off layer of Alcator C-Mod |
| title_short | Statistical properties of the plasma fluctuations and turbulent cross-field fluxes in the outboard mid-plane scrape-off layer of Alcator C-Mod |
| title_sort | statistical properties of the plasma fluctuations and turbulent cross field fluxes in the outboard mid plane scrape off layer of alcator c mod |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235217911830187X |
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