Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 8, 2026

Emission Spectroscopic Boundary Layer Investigation during Ablative Material Testing in Plasmatron
Published on: June 9, 2016
Fast Turbulence Phase Transition in a Flux-Driven Global Edge-SOL Simulation of a Tokamak Plasma
Wladimir Zholobenko1, Frank Jenko1, Kaiyu Zhang1
1Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Boltzmannstraße 2, 85748 Garching, Germany.
Abstract:
A power ramp from L- to H-mode-like conditions is carried out in a 50 ms long global full-f turbulence simulation of ASDEX Upgrade with the grillix code. After 32 ms of slow profile evolution, a sudden change in transport triggers a pedestal buildup within ∼100 μs. This transition results from an abrupt shift from drift-wave (DW) to kinetic-ballooning-mode (KBM) turbulence. The self-consistently evolved E×B flow shear first increases slowly and then sharply. Geodesic acoustic mode and Alfvénic flow oscillations intensify prior to the transition and subsequently die out. This is followed by slow oscillations of the transport and profiles, reminiscent of a dithering I-phase or edge-localized-mode (ELM) cycles observed experimentally. This study paves the way for a better understanding of confinement regime transitions.
Related Concept Videos
Turbulent Flow
Phase Transitions
Phase Transitions
Phase Transitions: Sublimation and Deposition
Steady, Laminar Flow Between Parallel Plates
Boundary Layer Characteristics

