Fluctuations and associated transport in the L mode in Tore Supra

Abstract

A parametric experimental study of fluctuations has been performed in L-mode plasmas during steady-state phases in Tore Supra. Simultaneous measurements of density and magnetic fluctuations in the gradient region of the discharge show that both components are strong functions of the local electron temperature decreasing lengths. The wavenumber spectrum of density fluctuations is obtained with the scattering diagnostic both in the bulk and at the edge of the discharge. In the bulk, in the L-mode compared to ohmic plasmas, the k spectrum increases below and is globally shifted towards low k values. At the edge (r/a > 0.9) an increase on all k values is observed. At r/a = 0.5, the level of both types of fluctuations is found to be linearly correlated with the local heat diffusivity . The heat flux ratio advected by electrostatic eddies in the bulk of the discharge is estimated by using fluctuation measurements and generic predictions for the parametric dependency of the thermal flux. The calculated level of density fluctuation necessary to account for the heat transport at midradius is found to be compatible with values measured in other tokamaks. It is also found that the heat flux ratio behaviour conducted by electrostatic fluctuations is compatible with most of the experimental heat flux ratio behaviour in the plasma core (0.4 < r/a < 0.6). This property does not hold at the edge of the plasma (r/a = 0.7). The similar parametric dependency of magnetic and density fluctuation level does not allow one to make a clear statement about their relative importance in the transport process and suggests that they could be coupled.