Intermittency and structures in edge plasma turbulence

A view of the mechanisms underlying particle and energy transport in fusion plasmas devices is presented. Heat and energy transport in fusion plasmas is partly due to turbulent processes having an intermittent character and presenting some universal features. The improved understanding of intermittent turbulent transport is changing the standard picture of transport, based on local diffusive mechanisms. The development of new diagnostic methods and the improvement of modeling tools are spawning a new era in fusion plasma research, in which the non-equilibrium aspects of the systems under study is carefully taken into account in order to unravel the global picture connecting transport, gradients and flows. To cite this article: C. Hidalgo et al., C. R. Physique 7 (2006).