Published August 2014 | Version v1
Journal article

Inboard and outboard radial electric field wells in the H- and I-mode pedestal of Alcator C-Mod and poloidal variations of impurity temperature

  • 1. Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)
  • 2. Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States)
  • 3. Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford (United Kingdom)

Description

We present inboard (HFS) and outboard (LFS) radial electric field (Er) and impurity temperature (Tz) measurements in the I-mode and H-mode pedestal of Alcator C-Mod. These measurements reveal strong Er wells at the HFS and the LFS midplane in both regimes and clear pedestals in Tz, which are of similar shape and height for the HFS and LFS. While the H-mode Er well has a radially symmetric structure, the Er well in I-mode is asymmetric, with a stronger ExB shear layer at the outer edge of the Er well, near the separatrix. Comparison of HFS and LFS profiles indicates that impurity temperature and plasma potential are not simultaneously flux functions. Uncertainties in radial alignment after mapping HFS measurements along flux surfaces to the LFS do not, however, allow direct determination as to which quantity varies poloidally and to what extent. Radially aligning HFS and LFS measurements based on the Tz profiles would result in substantial inboard-outboard variations of plasma potential and electron density. Aligning HFS and LFS Er wells instead also approximately aligns the impurity poloidal flow profiles, while resulting in a LFS impurity temperature exceeding the HFS values in the region of steepest gradients by up to 70%. Considerations based on a simplified form of total parallel momentum balance and estimates of parallel and perpendicular heat transport time scales seem to favor an approximate alignment of the Er wells and a substantial poloidal asymmetry in impurity temperature. (paper)

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0029-5515/54/8/083017

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Nuclear Fusion
Journal Volume
54
Journal Issue
8
Journal Page Range
[12 p.]
ISSN
0029-5515
CODEN
NUFUAU

Optional Information

Collaborations
Alcator C-Mod Team