Nonlinear Turbulence Simulations for NSTX H-modes

Present evidence points to remarkably resilient electron temperature profiles in high-density H-mode plasmas on the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX), suggesting that the underlying electron thermal transport mechanisms respond in a highly nonlinear fashion to changes in the gradients. This paper uses measured plasma profiles as input to linear gyrokinetic analysis to identify candidate micro-instabilities that may be responsible for the electron thermal transport. The criteria for useful nonlinear micro-stability analyses are discussed along with necessary approximations and computational issues.