Self Organization In Plasma Flows And Turbulence PDF Download

Transport barriers (TB) are a key element in controlling turbulent transport and achieving high performance burning plasmas. Theoretical studies are addressing the turbulence self-regulation as a possible explanation for transport barrier formation but a complete understanding of such complex dynamics is still missing. In this context, we address self-organized turbulent transport in fusion plasmas with the aim of presenting a novel understanding of transport barriers dynamics. The numerical tools we use span simulations from the most complex gyrokinetic turbulence to simpler 2D fluid turbulence and predator-prey like models.Two features of self-organizations, avalanches and zonal flows (ZFs), appear to control large scale transport. In the SOL (Scrape Off Layer) , intermittent avalanche events do not allow for time or space scale separation between mean fields and fluctuation terms. In the edge, the generation of long living double shear layers in the profiles of the velocity reduces radial turbulent transport. Such radially distributed barriers govern profile corrugations. A 2D turbulent model for pedestal generation, which is not specific of Tokamak plasmas, has been developed, the pedestal being localized at the interface between regions with different zonal flow damping: the edge region, where zonal flows are weakly damped by collisions, and the SOL region characterized by zonal flow damping due to boundary conditions. Quasi-periodic relaxation events are studied reducing the model to three modes coupling to identify the interplay between streamers and ZFs and the role of Reynolds stress in the generation and saturation of TBs.