Stochastic magnetic field driven charge transport and zonal flow during magnetic reconnection

Magnetic fluctuation-induced charge transport, resulting from particle transport that is not intrinsically ambipolar, has been measured in the high-temperature interior of a reversed-field pinch plasma. It is found that global resistive tearing modes and their nonlinear interactions lead to significant charge transport, equivalent to the perpendicular Maxwell stress, in the vicinity of the resonant surface for the dominant core resonant mode during magnetic reconnection. Finite charge transport can result in a zonal flow associated with locally strong radial electric field and electric field shear. In the presence of stochastic magnetic field, radial electric field is expected to be balanced by radial electron pressure gradient. Direct measurement of local density gradient is consistent with the formation of radial electric field and the zonal flow.