A model realization of self-organized criticality for plasma confinement

Abstract

A model for plasma transport near marginal stability is presented. The model is based on subcritical resistive pressure-gradient-driven turbulence. Three-dimensional nonlinear calculations based on this model show effective transport for subcritical mean profiles. This model exhibits some of the characteristic properties of self-organized criticality. Perturbative transport techniques are used to elucidate the transport properties. Propagation of positive and negative pulses is studied. The observed results suggest a possible explanation of the apparent nonlocal effects observed with perturbative experiments in tokamaks. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.