Turbulence and perpendicular plasma flow asymmetries measured at TJ-II plasmas

Abstract

Dedicated experiments have been carried out for a systematic comparison of turbulence wavenumber spectra and perpendicular rotation velocity measured at poloidally separated positions on the same flux-surface in the stellarator TJ-II. The rationale behind this study is twofold, namely, validation of the spatial localization of instabilities predicted by gyrokinetic simulations in stellarators and validation of the electrostatic potential variation on the flux surface as calculated by neoclassical codes and its possible impact on the radial electric field. Perpendicular wavenumber spectra and perpendicular rotation velocity profiles have been measured using Doppler reflectometry in two plasma regions poloidally separated as both positive and negative probing beam angles with respect to normal incidence can be selected. A systematic comparison has been carried out showing differences in the perpendicular wavenumber spectrum measured at poloidally separated positions on the same flux-surface, that depend on plasma density, heating conditions and magnetic configuration. The asymmetry found in the standard magnetic configuration under some plasmas conditions, reverses in the high iota configuration. The different intensity in the density fluctuation spectra can be related to the poloidal localization of instabilities found in gyrokinetic simulations. Differences in the radial electric field profile are also found that could be explained to be due to on-surface plasma potential variations.