H. Thomsen et al., Modification of the turbulence in the plasma boundary of the Wendelstein 7-AS stellarator using electric probes, CZEC J PHYS, 51(10), 2001, pp. 1079-1086
The fluctuations in the edge plasmas of magnetic fusion experiments are tho
ught to play an important role in terms of anomalous energy and particle tr
ansport. Experiments on Wendelstein 7-AS were conducted with the primary go
al to investigate the performance of influencing and modifying the turbulen
ce in the plasma boundary using electrical probes. Two movable poloidal pro
be arrays were used for the experiments, one located on the inboard side of
the vessel and the other on the outboard side. A subset of probe tips was
used for actively driving the plasma by different control signals, the rema
ining probes collected fluctuation data in the plasma boundary. Poloidally,
we find a significant cross-correlation between active and passive probes.
From analysis of the coherency and phases of the passive probe tips, it ca
n clearly be seen that the background E x B-rotation of the plasma plays a
crucial role for the applied signals. In the case of externally driven wave
s by several phase-locked active probes, the direction of the wave propagat
ion with respect to the plasma rotation (co- or count er-rotating) is essen
tial for a proper coupling to the turbulence. In toroidal direction we find
that the propagation of the signals along the magnetic field lines depends
on co- or counter-rotation with respect to the background plasma rotation.