Poloidal asymmetric flow and current relaxation of ballooned transport during I-phase in ASDEX Upgrade

Turbulence driven poloidal asymmetric parallel flow and current perturbations are studied for tokamak plasmas of circular geometry. Whereas zonal flows can lead to in-out asymmetry of parallel flows and currents via the Pfirsch-Schlüter mechanism, ballooned transport can result in an up-down asymmetry due to the Stringer spin-up mechanism. Measurements of up-down asymmetric parallel current fluctuations occurring during the I-phase in ASDEX Upgrade are not responses to the equilibrium by the Pfirsch-Schlüter current, but can be interpreted as a response to strongly ballooned plasma transport coupled with the Stringer spin-up mechanism. A good agreement of the experimental measured limit-cycle frequencies during I-phase with the Stringer spin-up relaxation frequency is found.