Correlation between MHD-Activity, Energetic Particle Behavior and Anomalous Transport Phenomena in WENDELSTEIN 7-AS

Energy and particle transport in W7-AS exhibits a resonance like dependence on the edge rotational transform (iota) as long as the magnetic shear is relatively weak (low beta, no significant net toroidal currents). MHD modes at resonant surfaces may cause enhanced radial transport depending on the magnitude and radial extent of the magnetic perturbations. In many cases discharges in W7-AS are very quiescent, or in case of mode activity, often no influence on energy and particle confinement is found. In the high beta regime ((beta) rational surfaces inside the plasma. Pressure driven mode activity appears at corresponding resonant surfaces. These modes could be resistive interchange instabilities since the respective stability criterion can be violated at least in the outer part of the plasma. Only around the highest beta values and in cases, where the magnetic well of the configuration was reduced, relaxations of the plasma energy are observed, indicating the vicinity of a soft beta limit. In most cases, however, the maximum achievable beta is determined by the available heating power.