Drift-Alfven vortex structures in the edge region of a fusion relevant plasma

TL;DR

This paper presents evidence of drift-Alfvén vortex structures in the edge region of a fusion plasma device, highlighting their role in electromagnetic turbulence and intermittent behavior, which are crucial for understanding confinement degradation.

Contribution

The study provides the first direct evidence of drift-Alfvén vortices in the edge of a fusion device, linking these structures to turbulence and confinement issues.

Findings

Detection of drift-Alfvén vortices in the edge plasma

Vortices contribute to electromagnetic turbulence

Structures are responsible for intermittent turbulence behavior

Abstract

Edge turbulent structures are commonly observed in fusion devices and are generally believed to be responsible for confinement degradation. Among their origin Drift-Alfven turbulence is one of the most commonly suggested. Drift-Alfven paradigm allows the existence of localized vortex-like structures observed also in various systems. Here we present the evidence of the presence of drift-Alfv\'en vortices in the edge region of RFX-Mod RFP device, showing how these structures are responsible for electromagnetic turbulence at the edge and its intermittent nature.