Comparison of a low- to high-confinement transition theory with experimental data from DIII-D

From our recent theory based on the generation of shear flow and field in finite beta plasmas, the criterion for bifurcation from low to high confinement mode yields a critical parameter proportional to T-e/rootL(n), where T-e is the electron temperature and L-n is the density scale length. The predicted threshold shows very good agreement with edge measurements on discharges undergoing low-to-high transitions in DIII-D. The observed differences in the transitions with the reversal of the toroidal magnetic field are reconciled in terms of this critical parameter. The theory also provides an explanation for pellet injection H modes in DIII-D, thereby unifying unconnected methods for accomplishing the transition.