Validation of gyrokinetic simulations with measurements of electron temperature fluctuations and density-temperature phase angles on ASDEX Upgrade

Measurements of turbulent electron temperature fluctuation amplitudes, δ T e ⊥ / T e, frequency spectra, and radial correlation lengths, L r (T e ⊥), have been performed at ASDEX Upgrade using a newly upgraded Correlation ECE diagnostic in the range of scales k ⊥ < 1.4 cm - 1, k r < 3.5 cm - 1 (k ⊥ ρ s < 0.28 and k r ρ s < 0.7). The phase angle between turbulent temperature and density fluctuations, α_nT, has also been measured by using an ECE radiometer coupled to a reflectometer along the same line of sight. These quantities are used simultaneously to constrain a set of ion-scale non-linear gyrokinetic turbulence simulations of the outer core (ρ_tor = 0.75) of a low density, electron heated L-mode plasma, performed using the gyrokinetic simulation code, GENE. The ion and electron temperature gradients were scanned within uncertainties. It is found that gyrokinetic simulations are able to match simultaneously the electron and ion heat flux at this radius within the experimental uncertainties. The simulations were performed based on a reference discharge for which δ T e ⊥ / T e measurements were available, and L r (T e ⊥) and α_nT were then predicted using synthetic diagnostics prior to measurements in a repeat discharge. While temperature fluctuation amplitudes are overestimated by >50% for all simulations within the sensitivity scans performed, good quantitative agreement is found for L r (T e ⊥) and α_nT. A validation metric is used to quantify the level of agreement of individual simulations with experimental measurements, and the best agreement is found close to the experimental gradient values.