Plasma flow, turbulence and magnetic islands in TJ-II

Abstract

Abstract The effect of magnetic islands on plasma flow and turbulence has been experimentally investigated in ohmically induced magnetic configuration scans at the stellarator TJ-II. This operational mode allows sweeping the radial position of a low order rational surface from the plasma core towards the edge in a controlled way, what reveals effects that are difficult to notice in scans performed on a shot to shot basis. The main diagnostic used in the present work is a two-channel Doppler reflectometer that allows the measurement of the perpendicular rotation velocity of the turbulence and density fluctuations with good spatial and temporal resolution. A characteristic signature of the n / m = 3/2 magnetic island as it crosses the measurement position is clearly detected: the perpendicular flow reverses at the center of the magnetic island and a flow shear develops at the island boundaries. Fluctuations of the perpendicular flow and density have been also measured along the 3/2 magnetic island. An increase in the low frequency flow oscillations is measured at the magnetic island boundaries together with a reduction in the density fluctuation level; the later being more pronounced at the inner island boundary. These observations could explain the link between magnetic islands and transport barriers observed in a number of fusion devices.