ELECTROSTATIC TURBULENCE AND TRANSPORT IN THE VELOCITY SHEAR-LAYER OFA REVERSED-FIELD PINCH PLASMA

The electrostatic turbulence in the edge plasma of the RFX reversed fi eld pinch experiment has been studied using Langmuir probes and a homo dyne reflectometer. The radial particle flux driven by electrostatic f luctuations has been measured in the region where a double E x B veloc ity shear layer occurs. It is found that almost 100% of the particle f lux at the edge is driven by electrostatic fluctuations. The naturally occurring E x B velocity shear has been shown to be close to that req uired by the Biglari-Diamond-Terry criterion for turbulence radial dec orrelation.