H-mode transition in the TJ-II stellarator plasmas

Abstract

Since the first H-mode transitions were observed in TJ-II plasmas in 2008, an extensive experimental effort has been done aiming at better physics understanding of confinement transitions. In this article, an overview of the main findings related to the L-H transition in TJ-II is presented including how the radial electric field is driven, what are the possible mechanisms for turbulence suppression and what are the related temporal and spatial scales that can impact the transition. The trigger of the L-H transition in TJ-II plasmas is found to be more correlated with the development of fluctuating E × B flows than with steady-state E r effects, pointing to the role played by zonal flows in mediating the transition. Experimental evidence supporting the predator–prey relationship between turbulence and flows as the basis for the L-H transition, found for the first time in TJ-II, reinforces this conclusion. Besides, the reduction in the turbulent transport at the transition is detected at the barrier region but also in a wider radial range with weak or even zero E × B flow shear, which points to other mechanisms beyond the turbulence suppression by local sheared flows. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘H-mode transition and pedestal studies in fusion plasmas’.