UC San Diego

The electron temperature gradient mode has been proposed as a primary mechanism for electron transport. The possibilities of magnetic secondary instabilities (“zonal” magnetic fields and magnetic “streamers”) are investigated as novel potential mechanisms for electron transport regulation and enhancement, respectively. In particular, zonal magnetic field growth and transport regulation is investigated as an alternative to electrostatic zonal flows. Growth rates and implications for electron thermal transport are discussed for both electrostatic and magnetic saturation mechanisms. The possibility of magnetic streamers (mesoscale radial magnetic fields), and their potential impact on electron thermal transport, is also considered.