Investigation of inter-ELM ion heat transport in the H-mode pedestal of ASDEX Upgrade plasmas

The ion heat transport in the pedestal of H-mode plasmas is investigated in various H-mode discharges with different pedestal ion collisionalities. Interpretive modelling suggests that in all analyzed discharges the ion heat diffusivity coefficient, χi, in the pedestal is close to the neoclassical prediction within the experimental uncertainties. The impact of changing the deposition location of the electron cyclotron resonance heating on the ion heat transport has been studied. The effect on the background profiles is small. The pre-ELM (edge localized modes) edge profiles as well as the behaviour of the electron temperature and density, ion temperature and impurity toroidal rotation during the ELM cycle are very similar in discharges with on- and off-axis ECRH heating. No significant deviation of χi from neoclassics is observed when changing the ECRH deposition location to the plasma edge.