Turbulent particle transport in magnetized fusion plasma

Understanding the mechanisms responsible for particle transport is of the utmost importance for magnetized fusion plasmas. A peaked density profile is attractive to improve the fusion rate, which is proportional to the square of the density, and to self-generate a large fraction of non-inductive current required for continuous operation. Experiments in various tokamak devices (ASDEX Upgrade, DIII-D, JET, TCV, TEXT, TFTR) indicate the existence of a turbulent particle pinch. Recently, such a turbulent pinch has been unambiguously identified in Tore Supra very long discharges, in the absence of both collisional particle pinch and central particle source, for more than 4 min (Hoang et al 2003 Phys. Rev. Lett. 90 155002). This turbulent pinch is predicted by a quasilinear theory of particle transport (Weiland J et al 1989 Nucl. Fusion 29 1810), and confirmed by nonlinear turbulence simulations (Garbet et al 2003 Phys. Rev. Lett. 9103500 1) and general considerations based on the conservation of motion invariants (Baker et al 2004 Phys. Plasmas 11992). Experimentally, the particle pinch is found to be sensitive to the magnetic field gradient in many cases (Hoang et al 2004 Phys. Rev. Lett. 93 135003, Zabolotsky et al 2003 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 45 735, Weisen et al 2004 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 46 751, Baker et al 2000 Nucl. Fusion 40 1003), to the temperature profile (Hoang et al 2004 Phys. Rev. Lett. 93 135003, Angioni et al 2004 Nucl. Fusion 44 827), and also to the collisionality that changes the nature of the microturbulence (Angioni et al 2003 Phys. Rev. Lett. 90 205003, Garzotti et al 2003 Nucl. Fusion 43.1829, Weisen et al 2004 31st EPS Conf. on Plasma Phys. (London) vol 28G (ECA) P-1.146, Lopes Cardozo N J 1995 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 37 799). The consistency of some of the observed dependences with the theoretical predictions gives us a clearer understanding of the particle pinch in tokamaks, allowing us to predict more accurately the density profile in ITER.