Improved confinement regimes induced by limiter biasing in the TJ-II stellarator

The influence of limiter biasing on plasma confinement, turbulence and plasma flows is investigated in the TJ-II stellarator. Experimental results show that it is possible to modify global confinement and edge plasma parameters with both positive and negative biasing. Significant and minor modifications in the structure of plasma fluctuations have been observed during the transition to improved confinement regimes induced by limiter biasing. These results show evidence of electric field induced improved confinement via multiple mechanisms. The investigation of the relaxation of plasma potential and electric fields shows evidence of two different characteristic decay times.