Intermittent turbulence and turbulent structures in a linear magnetized plasma
Abstract
Strongly intermittent turbulence is observed in the shadow of a limiter in the Large Plasma Device (LAPD) at UCLA [W. Gekelman, H. Pfister, Z. Lucky, J. Bamber, D. Leneman, and J. Maggs, Rev. Sci. Inst. {\bfseries 62}, 2875 (1991)]. The amplitude probability distribution function (PDF) of the turbulence is strongly skewed, with density depletion events (or ``holes'') dominant in the high density region and density enhancement events (or ``blobs'') dominant in the low density region. Two-dimensional cross-conditional averaging shows that the blobs are detached, outward-propagating filamentary structures with a clear dipolar potential while the holes appear to be part of a more extended turbulent structure. A statistical study of the blobs reveals a typical size of ten times the ion sound gyroradius and a typical velocity of one tenth the sound speed.
Cite
@article{arxiv.physics/0504209,
title = {Intermittent turbulence and turbulent structures in a linear magnetized plasma},
author = {T. A. Carter},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:physics/0504209},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
12 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Physics of Plasmas