Heat diffusivity model and temperature simulations in RFX-mod

The core transport properties of reversed field pinch (RFP) plasmas in the standard regime are generally associated with a high level of magnetic chaos. Indeed, in the RFX-mod RFP device, the core temperature profile is often very flat, indicating that the heat diffusivity is very high. In contrast, the temperature edge profile has a steep gradient, indicating that the edge is characterized by low heat transport. These simple experimental evidences are the basis of a heat diffusivity model that is used as an input to a numerical code for plasma temperature simulation. The simulated temperature reproduces with good accuracy both the experimental T, time evolution and its radial profiles in different plasma scenarios, showing that the model is useful for estimating the plasma heat diffusivity. This work suggests that the heat transport properties in the RFP plasma core are dominated by magnetic chaos in standard discharges and suggests a simple way to estimate electron heat diffusivity from density, input power and magnetic fluctuation measurements.