Effect of collisions on non-adiabatic electron dynamics in ITG-driven microturbulence

Non-adiabatic electron response leads to significant changes in Ion Temperature Gradient (ITG) eigenmodes, leading in particular to fine-structures that are significantly extended along the magnetic field lines at corresponding Mode Rational Surfaces (MRSs). These eigenmodes can nonlinearly interact with themselves to drive zonal flows via the so-called self-interaction mechanism. In this paper, the effect of collisions on these processes are studied. In presence of non-adiabatic electrons, the linear growth rate of ITG eigenmodes decreases with increasing collisionality. Detailed velocity space analysis of the distribution function shows that this results from collisions leading to a more adiabatic-like response of electrons away from MRSs. In linear simulations, collisions are furthermore found to broaden the radial width of the fine-structures, which translates to narrower tails of the eigenmode in extended ballooning space. The characteristic parallel scale length associated to these tails is shown to scale with the mean free path of electrons. In nonlinear turbulence simulations accounting for physically relevant values of collisionality, the fine structures located at MRSs, together with the associated drive of zonal flows via self-interaction, are shown to persist and play a significant role.