Electrostatic Fluctuation Measurements in the Periphery of a Reversed Field Pinch Plasma

Abstract

Peripheral plasma electrostatic fluctuations are studied with inserted electrostatic probe array in the STP-3(M) Reversed Field Pinch, and radial profiles of electron density, electron temperature, and plasma space potential are measured. The particle flux driven by electrostatic fluctuation is calculated with the correlation between the fluctuation of electron density and fluctuation of plasma space potential, bringing us the results that the increase of electrostatic fluctuation at the edge causes particle diffusions. The agreement between the Er×B drift velocity of the radial electric field by the gradient of plasma space potential and the ion thermal velocity at the edge indicates ion motion dominates the particle diffusion. The decrease of the toroidal phase velocity at the edge and the confinement degradation shows the radial outside flow of the Er×Bp drift, where Et is generated by the toroidal flow fluctuation of the Et×B drift. Therefore, the electrostatic fluctuation caused by the radial propagation of plasma space potential is thought as the dominance of the radial particle flux.