Enhanced confinement in tokamaks

Abstract

The physics of enhanced confinement regimes in tokamaks is reviewed and some directions for further enhancements are assessed. The H-mode confinement regime is examined. A number of other observations of enhanced confinement, having in common peaked density profiles, are compared to the theory of ion temperature gradient modes. Two schemes of promise in enhancing confinement, second stability and control of electric fields, are discussed. The contributions of alternate concepts to understanding tokamak transport are described.