Reduced intermittency in the magnetic turbulence of reversed field pinch plasmas

The statistical temporal properties of broadband magnetic turbulence in the edge of reversed field pinch (RFP) plasmas are significantly altered when global magnetohydrodynamic tearing modes and magnetic relaxation are reduced. Standard RFP plasmas, having relatively large tearing fluctuations, exhibit broadband intermittent bursts of magnetic fluctuations in the bandwidth f < 1.5 MHz. When the global tearing is reduced via parallel current drive in the edge region, the magnetic turbulence is much less intermittent and has statistical behavior typical of self-similar turbulence (like that expected in self-organized criticality systems). A connection between intermittency and long wavelength plasma instabilities is therefore implied. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.