Blobs and front propagation in the scrape-off layer of magnetic confinement devices

In this paper we show the self-consistent evolution of an isolated density perturbation in models of tokamak scrape-off layer turbulence. Our purpose is to explain the possible mechanisms responsible for radial propagation of density perturbations observed in the scrape-off layer. Results of both two-dimensional numerical simulations and one-dimensional quasilinear modeling of the propagative events are presented, and shown to be consistent with many experimental observations. The role of sheath dissipation for front propagation and turbulent mixing is also addressed. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.