Effect of neutrals on the anomalous edge plasma transport

Abstract

Abstract The impact of neutrals on the anomalous edge plasma transport is examined in detail within the resistive drift wave (RDW) turbulence and zonal flow (ZF) system. It is shown that the neutral impact on the RDW turbulence itself is weak, but it can largely damp the ZF and thus lead to an enhancement of the anomalous transport. Such an impact is stronger for the system with a larger adiabatic parameter, where the ZF is more dominant in the absence of neutrals. It is shown that the enhancement of the anomalous transport is related to the detrapping of fluctuations from the vicinity of the extrema of ZF when the neutrals weaken the ZF effect.