Toroidal rotation as an explanation for plasma flow observations in the Alcator C-Mod scrape-off layer

Parallel and ExB plasma flows near the separatrix on the outside midplane of Alcator C-Mod are investigated with a scanning probe for a range plasma densities, currents, and magnetic fields. Strong parallel flows (up to Mach 0.6) are found to peak ∼2 mm into the scrape-off layer (SOL), reverse nearly symmetrically with magnetic field reversal, and decrease in magnitude with increasing line-averaged density normalized to the Greenwald density. ExB flows in the SOL inferred from the poloidal propagation velocity of plasma fluctuations appear to compensate these parallel flows and scale similarly, i.e., the dominant flow pattern is a pure toroidal rotation. ExB flows inferred by probe-sheath potentials are generally smaller, exhibit more scatter, and do not scale the same, perhaps indicating a less reliable measurement. These measurements suggest a residual poloidal flow (along field lines) of ∼0.2 to ∼1 times the electron diamagnetic velocity, depending on plasma conditions