SELF-ORGANIZED T-E REDISTRIBUTION DURING DRIVEN RECONNECTION PROCESSES IN HIGH-TEMPERATURE PLASMAS

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) images of electron temperature fluctuations with high temporal and spatial resolution were employed to study the sawtooth oscillation in Toroidal EXperiment for Technology Oriented Research [S. S. Abdallaev et al., Nucl. Fusion 43, 299 (2003)] tokamak plasmas. The new findings are: (1) 2D images revealed that the reconnection is localized and permitted the determination of the physical dimensions of the reconnection zone in the poloidal and toroidal planes. (2) The combination of a pressure bulge due to finite pressure effects or a kink instability accompanied with a sharp pressure point leads to an "X-point" reconnection process. (3) Reconnection can take place anywhere along the q similar to 1 rational magnetic surface (both high- and low-field sides). (4) Heat flow from the core to the outside of the inversion radius during the reconnection time is through the finite opening on the poloidal and toroidal planes and the flow is highly collective. These new findings are compared with the characteristics of various theoretical models and experimental results for the study of the sawtooth oscillation in tokamak plasmas. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.