The cylindrical slab was the first and simplest model of intrinsically unstable microturbulence. The Helimak is an experimental realization of this model. Although finite, it is sufficiently large to escape boundary effects, with dimensionless parameters similar to those of a tokamak edge or scrape off layer. The essential drive is interchange-like, a pressure gradient with unfavorable magnetic curvature, leading to a non-linearly saturated state of large-amplitude turbulence, Delta n(rms) similar to 0.5. The nonlinear processes governing this saturation are unique, unlike any of those posited for the much weaker turbulence typical of confined plasma, e. g., in a tokamak. Neither linear stability theory, quasi-linear theory, zonal flows, nor flow shear stabilization is consistent with the observations. The mechanisms determining the non-linearly saturated state constitute an important challenge to our understanding of strongly nonlinear systems. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.
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