Alfvén eigenmodes measured in the TJ-II stellarator

High frequency modes (150-300 kHz) are found in several magnetic configurations of TJ-II plasmas heated by neutral beam injection (NBI). The clear dependence of mode frequency on plasma density and mass species suggests them to be Alfvén eigenmodes. The appearance of these modes is linked to the presence of low order rational surfaces close to the rotational transform profile. They can exhibit steady or chirping behaviour depending on the plasma profiles. Frequency chirping is observed in NBI plasmas with broad temperature profiles, but rarely observed with relatively peaked profiles. The Alfvénic activity has been characterized in detail with magnetic coils for the standard configuration. Cross analyses with heavy ion beam probe and reflectometer signals have yielded spatial resolution and radial profiles of the perturbation. Correlation between magnetic coil signals and signals from diagnostics sensitive to edge ion losses, namely Langmuir probes and a fast ion loss detector, has been observed in some cases and characterized taking advantage of the chirping nature of the observed Alfvénic activity.