Effect of a poloidal shear flow on the probability of accessing the multiple saturated states in the resistive interchange instability

A systematic study based on 400 nonlinear single-helicity calculations with random initial perturbations shows that multiple nonlinear states exist at saturation. They are characterized by different values of the poloidal wave number of the dominant mode in the spectrum. As a consequence, the saturated states have different levels of fluctuations and different self-consistent poloidal flow profiles. The presence of an external shear poloidal flow does not always directly change the saturation level of the fluctuations. For low shear flows, it can increase the probability of accessing the high saturated levels. For very high values of the flow shear, however, there is suppression of the fluctuations. A curvature poloidal flow reduces the saturation level of each state and increases the probability of accessing the low fluctuation levels. Transitions between saturated states accompanied by sudden changes in flow profile have been observed. Most of the observed transitions are from a low to a high level of fluctuations.