Intermittency and self-similarity in plasma edge fluctuations

The intermittency of the floating potential fluctuations as measured at the edge of a plasma of interest for controlled thermonuclear fusion research is investigated. The probability distribution functions of fluctuations are not scale invariant, that is the wings of these functions are more importa nt at the smallest scales, a classical signature of intermittency. Self-sim ilarity is recovered at scales greater than about 20 mu s. (C) 2000 America n Institute of Physics. [S1070-664X(00)04401-3].