Investigation of the bifurcation character of the H-mode in ASDEX Upgrade

The so-called 'dithering cycles', i.e. periodic L-H-L transitions, are studied in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak. The cycle repetition frequency is approximately 2 kHz; high-resolution ECE measurements show that Tc changes during the cycle consistent with the assumption of the periodic build-up and destruction of the edge transport barrier characteristic of the H-mode. A study of the conditions under which the cycles occur reveals that with the unfavourable Del B drift direction, the cycles are suppressed. These observations are interpreted in a schematic bifurcation diagram; we find that the width of the bifurcation varies with the reversal of the Del B drift.