Avalanche properties in a transport model based on critical-gradient fluctuation dynamics

A simple one-dimensional transport model based on critical-gradient fluctuation dynamics is applied to describe some of the properties of plasma-turbulence-induced transport. This model combines avalanche-like transport with diffusion. The particle flux is self-regulated by the stability properties of the fluctuations. A high-gradient edge region emerges where transport dynamics is close to marginal stability. In steady state, the core remains at the subcritical gradient. The avalanches change from quasiperiodic events triggered mostly near the edge region to intermittent transport events depending on the noise level of the particle source. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.