Radially sheared azimuthal flows and turbulent transport in a cylindrical plasma
Abstract
A radially sheared azimuthal flow is observed in a cylindrical helicon plasma device without any apparent external sources of angular momentum input. Broadband fluctuations combined with a chain of coherent structures are observed, turbulent particle transport across the shear layer is inhibited, and energy appears to be transferred from linearly unstable intermediate wave numbers into both larger and smaller spatial scales that are linearly stable. The shape of the radial plasma potential profile associated with the azimuthal flow is in agreement with published theory, and the flow magnitude is consistent with estimates of the turbulent Reynolds stress. © 2004 American Institute of Physics.
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