Sheared flow generation and mode suppression in a magnetized linear cylindrical plasma

In a magnetized cylindrical plasma produced with the electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) scheme, a sheared E x B-flow showing zonal flow (ZF) characteristics has been driven by ECR power modulation. This method was used to control the sheared flow, and allowed us to observe that a coherent mode (spontaneously driven in the plasma) becomes stabilized as the induced plasma flow amplitude increases. The stabilization of the mode is caused by the increase in the plasma flow shear; thus, the result demonstrates the fundamental process of the shearing effect of ZFs on turbulence, which is commonly observed in toroidal plasma confinement devices for fusion research