Experimental observation of reverse- sheared Alfvén eigenmodes (RSAEs) in ELMy H-mode plasma on the EAST tokamak

Reverse-sheared Alfvén eigenmodes (RSAEs) have been observed by using an interferometer and ECE diagnostics in NBI heated ELMy H-mode plasma on EAST tokamak. A typical feature of these modes is a fast frequency sweeping upward from ∼80 kHz to ∼110 kHz in hundred milliseconds during which the plasma temperature, density and rotation keeps no change. Only core channels of the interferometer can observe these modes, implying a core localized mode. The ECE measurement further showed that these modes located at about ρ=0.37–0.46, just around the position of q_min with ρ∼0.4. These core localized modes are very weak in the magnetic fluctuations measured by mirnov probes mounted at the machine vacuum vessel. A multiple frequency fluctuation component, seemingly the so-called ‘grand cascades’, was also clearly observed on the ECE signal at ρ=0.46. During the phase, a transient internal transport barrier (ITB) in ion temperature and toroidal rotation was observed and the ITB foot was just close to the position of q_min . A modulation of RSAE frequency by ELM event was observed and this modulation could be attributed to rotation decrease or q_min increase due to ELM. Further study of these modes in EAST can provide valuable constraints for the q profile measurement and will be important for the long pulse operation.