Search for low-dimensional chaos in a reversed field pinch plasma

Abstract

An analysis of experimental data from the RFX (Reversed Field eXperiment) reversed field pinch machine [L. Fellin, P. Kusstatscher and G. Rostagni, Fusion Eng. Des. {\bf 25}, 315 (1995)] is carried out to investigate the possible existence of deterministic chaos in the edge plasma region. The mathematical tools used include Lyapunov exponents, Kaplan-Yorke dimension, minimum embedding dimension estimates and nonlinear forecasting. The whole analysis agrees in ruling out the possibility of low-dimensional chaos: The dimension of the underlying dynamical system is estimated to be $ > 10$. From a critical re-reading of the literature it emerges that the findings of this work are likely to be common to all reversed field pinches.

REVTeX, 18 pages, 7 PostScript figures. To be published in Physics of Plasmas (scheduled January 1999)