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Plasma turbulence, suprathermal ion dynamics and code validation on the basic plasma physics device TORPEX

Part of: Experiments Fundamental Plasma Physics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2015

I. Furno ,
F. Avino ,
A. Bovet ,
A. Diallo ,
A. Fasoli ,
K. Gustafson ,
D. Iraji ,
B. Labit ,
J. Loizu  and
S. H. Müller
...Show all authors
I. Furno*
Affiliation:
Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
F. Avino
Affiliation:
Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
A. Bovet
Affiliation:
Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
A. Diallo
Affiliation:
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ 08543 - USA
K. Gustafson
Affiliation:
The Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
D. Iraji
Affiliation:
Istituto di Fisica del Plasma (I.F.P.). ENEA-CNR Association, Via R. Cozzi 53, 20125-Milano, Italy
B. Labit
Affiliation:
Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
J. Loizu
Affiliation:
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ 08543 - USA Istituto di Fisica del Plasma (I.F.P.). ENEA-CNR Association, Via R. Cozzi 53, 20125-Milano, Italy
S. H. Müller
Affiliation:
Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
G. Plyushchev
Affiliation:
Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
M. Podestà
Affiliation:
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ 08543 - USA
F. M. Poli
Affiliation:
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ 08543 - USA
P. Ricci
Affiliation:
Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
C. Theiler
Affiliation:
Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
*
†Email address for correspondence: ivo.furno@epfl.ch
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Abstract

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The TORPEX basic plasma physics device at the Center for Plasma Physics Research (CRPP) in Lausanne, Switzerland is described. In TORPEX, simple magnetized toroidal configurations, a paradigm for the tokamak scrape-off layer (SOL), as well as more complex magnetic geometries of direct relevance for fusion are produced. Plasmas of different gases are created and sustained by microwaves in the electron-cyclotron (EC) frequency range. Full diagnostic access allows for a complete characterization of plasma fluctuations and wave fields throughout the entire plasma volume, opening new avenues to validate numerical codes. We detail recent advances in the understanding of basic aspects of plasma turbulence, including its development from linearly unstable electrostatic modes, the formation of filamentary structures, or blobs, and its influence on the transport of energy, plasma bulk and suprathermal ions. We present a methodology for the validation of plasma turbulence codes, which focuses on quantitative assessment of the agreement between numerical simulations and TORPEX experimental data.

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Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 81 , Issue 3 , June 2015 , 345810301
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

References

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