The impact of inverted density gradients on density profiles measured by reflectometry: an experimental and numerical investigation at ASDEX Upgrade

The high-field side high-density (HFSHD) region at ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) is a well-documented phenomenon leading to a dense plasma in the inner divertor region that expands upwards to the midplane, resulting in poloidally asymmetric scrape-off layer density profiles. This work investigates, via simulation and experiment, whether the HFSHD at the midplane leads to hollow density profiles at the high-field side. Using the frequency-modulated continuous-wave O mode reflectometer at AUG, experimental evidence has been found of reflection patterns compatible with a hollow density profile that are reproduced by 1D full-wave simulations. Furthermore, this work assesses the uncertainties in the density profile reconstruction as a consequence of the inverted gradient, showing that the presence of an HFSHD may lead to an overestimation of the density in the confined region.