Properties of zonal flow transport bifurcations driven by drift wave turbulence

摘要

Previously unobserved transport bifurcations in self-consistent simulations have been examined in drift wave turbulence runs. These distinct transport states, associated with density corrugations, are linked with an asymmetry in the turbulence-fed zonal flows - the flows opposite to the electron diamagnetic drift direction being sharper and deeper than their counterparts. Both quantitative and qualitative arguments to explain this phenomenon are presented.