Gyrokinetic investigation of the ASDEX Upgrade I-mode pedestal

Characterizing pedestal turbulence in the tokamak I-mode is a crucial step in understanding how particle and heat transport decouple during I-mode operation. This work models an ASDEX Upgrade I-mode discharge for the first time via linear and nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations with the GENE code. L-mode and I-mode regimes at two different pedestal locations are investigated. A microtearing mode that is not apparent in initial value linear L-mode simulations is found to dominate in I-mode simulations at both radial positions, and ion-scale instabilities are characterized for all four scenarios linearly. Computed nonlinear heat flux values approach experimental measurements with nominal input parameters in three of the four cases, and heat transport is found to be dominated by ion-scale electrostatic turbulence. Electrostatic potential oscillation frequencies, as well as potential-temperature and potential-density crossphases, are compared linearly and nonlinearly, and agreement is found at wavenumber ranges corresponding to peaks in the simulated heat flux spectra at one radial position for L-mode and I-mode.