DOE OSTI2018
Measurements of turbulent electron temperature fluctuation amplitudes, $δT_e⊥/T_e$, frequency spectra, and radial correlation lengths, $L_r(T_{e⊥}$), have been performed at ASDEX Upgrade using a newly upgraded Correlation ECE diagnostic in the range of scales $k_⊥<1.4 cm^{-1}, k_r < 3.5 cm^{-1} (k_⊥ρ_s < 0.28$ and $k_rρ_s < 0.7$). The phase angle between turbulent temperature and density fluctuations, α nT , has also been measured by using an ECE radiometer coupled to a reflectometer along the same line of sight. These quantities are used simultaneously to constrain a set of ion-scale non-linear gyrokinetic turbulence simulations of the outer core ( ρ tor = 0.75) of a low density, electron heated L-mode plasma, performed using the gyrokinetic simulation code, GENE. The ion and electron temperature gradients were scanned within uncertainties. It is found that gyrokinetic simulations are able to match simultaneously the electron and ion heat flux at this radius within the experimental uncertainties. The simulations were performed based on a reference discharge for which $δT_{e⊥}/T_e$ measurements were available, and $L_r(T_{e⊥}$) and α nT were then predicted using synthetic diagnostics prior to measurements in a repeat discharge. While temperature fluctuation amplitudes are overestimated by >50% for all simulations within the sensitivity scans performed, good quantitative agreement is found for $L_r(T_{e⊥}$) and α nT . Finally, a validation metric is used to quantify the level of agreement of individual simulations with experimental measurements, and the best agreement is found close to the experimental gradient values.
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗