L-H Transition in Fusion Plasma as a Self-organization Phenomenon
D. G. Dimitriu
Department of Plasma Physics, University "Al. I. Cuza", RO-700506, Iasi, Romania
The achievement of a high density and high temperature plasma for a long confinement time is the main goal of controlled thermonuclear fusion research. By increasing the heating power, first a degradation of energy and particle confinement in fusion plasma is obtained (L-mode). Above a certain threshold value of this power, a regime of improved energy and particle confinement (H-mode) is attained. The H-mode is characterized by sharp gradients of the density and the temperature in the plasma edge region, indicating the formation of a transport barrier [1]. This barrier leads to a reduction of the radial transport and a suppression of fluctuations. A localized radial electric field develops in the edge plasma region at the L-H transition. This transition is considered a remarkable self-organization phenomenon in tokamak plasma [2].
References
[1]J. W. Connor and H. R. Wilson, Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 42 (2000) R1
[2]P. N. Guzdar et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 87 (2001) 015001-1 [3]D. G. Dimitriu et al., Int. J. Mass Spectrom. 223-224 (2003) 141
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