Impact of magnetic islands on plasma flow and turbulence in W7-X
T. Estrada, E. Maragkoudakis, D. Carralero, T. Windisch, J. L. Velasco, C. Killer, T. Andreeva, J. Geiger, A. Dinklage, A. Krämer-Flecken, G. A. Wurden, M. Beurskens, S. Bozhenkov, H. Damm, G. Fuchert, E. Pasch, the W -X Team
Abstract
The effect of magnetic islands on plasma flow and turbulence has been experimentally investigated in the stellarator W7-X. Magnetic configurations with the 5/5 magnetic island positioned at the plasma edge, inside the last closed flux surface, are studied. The main diagnostic used in the present work is a V-band Doppler reflectometer that allows the measurement of the perpendicular plasma flow and density fluctuations with good spatial resolution. A characteristic signature of the 5/5 magnetic island is clearly detected in the perpendicular flow profile. The comparison of the experimental flow and the neoclassically driven $E\times B$ flow indicates that the island contribution to the flow is maximum at the island boundaries and close to zero at the island O-point. Besides, a reduction in the density fluctuation level is found nearby the island O-point. The similarities between these observations and those found in other devices and in gyrokinetic simulations are discussed.