R. Ke

Spatiotemporal characterization of zonal flows with multi-channel correlation Doppler reflectometers in the HL-2A Tokamak

The oscillations of poloidal plasma flows induced by radially sheared zonal flows are investigated by newly developed correlation Doppler reflectometers in the HL-2A tokamak. The non-disturbing diagnostic allows one to routinely measure the rotation velocity of turbulence, and hence the radial electric field fluctuations. With correlation Doppler reflectometers, a three-dimensional spatial structure of geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) is surveyed, including the symmetric feature of poloidal and toroidal Er fluctuations, the dependence of GAM frequency on radial temperature and the radial propagation of GAMs. The co-existence of low-frequency zonal flow and GAM is presented. The temporal behaviors of GAM during ramp-up experiments of plasma current and electron density are studied, which reveal the underlying damping mechanisms for the GAM oscillation level.

Edge shear flows and particle transport near the density limit of the HL-2A tokamak

Edge shear flow and its effect on regulating turbulent transport have long been suspected to play an important role in plasmas operating near the Greenwald density limit n G. In this study, equilibrium profiles as well as the turbulent particle flux and Reynolds stress across the separatrix in the HL-2A tokamak are examined as is approached in ohmic L-mode discharges. As the normalized line-averaged density is raised, the shearing rate of the mean poloidal flow drops, and the turbulent drive for the low-frequency zonal flow (the Reynolds power ) collapses. Correspondingly, the turbulent particle transport increases drastically with increasing collision rates. The geodesic acoustic modes (GAMs) gain more energy from the ambient turbulence at higher densities, but have smaller shearing rate than low-frequency zonal flows. The increased density also introduces decreased adiabaticity which not only enhances the particle transport but is also related to reduction in the eddy-tilting and the Reynolds power. Both effects may lead to cooling of edge plasmas and therefore the onset of MHD instabilities that limit the plasma density.