3D properties of edge turbulent transport in full-torus simulations and their impact on poloidal asymmetries

The 3D fluid turbulence code TOKAM3X is used to investigate the 3D properties of edge turbulent transport and their impact on poloidal asymmetries. Simulations are run in circular limited plasmas in a domain covering both closed and open flux surfaces. Turbulence characteristics exhibit large inhomogeneities both in the radial and poloidal directions reminiscent of experimental observations. The low field side mid-plane in particular is found to be locally more fluctuating and intermittent than the rest of the Scrape-Off-Layer (SOL). As a consequence of this asymmetry, radial turbulent transport, that represents 80 to 90% of the total radial flux, is strongly ballooned, with 75% of the flux flowing through LFS. The equilibrium of the edge plasma is impacted by this asymmetry through the existence of large amplitude asymmetric parallel flows as well as through the development of poloidally asymmetric radial decay lengths making it impossible to define a single SOL width. (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)