Second stability region for gyrokinetics and the L-H transition

Using a simple circular tokamak geometry, we show the well-known `second stability region’ of MHD-ballooning modes exists for linear gyrokinetics too – whether electrostatic or electromagnetic – and we suggest that the plasma enters this region in H-mode as a consequence of the bootstrap current and Shafranov shift altering the magnetic field, which may occur if the normalised pressure gradient is ${\alpha }_{\mathrm{M}\mathrm{H}\mathrm{D}}\text{simgt}1$ and collisionality is low. By performing simulations in more realistic magnetic geometries, we demonstrate a large reduction in collisionless, electrostatic turbulent transport when going from density and temperature profiles typical of L- and H-mode, respectively. This reduction is shown to be a consequence of both the bootstrap current lowering the global magnetic shear, and the pressure gradient altering the local magnetic shear, pushing the plasma towards the second-stability region. A path connecting the L- and H-mode equilibria is constructed, along which the energy and particle fluxes exhibit non-monotonic behaviour as a function of the pressure gradient.