Comparison of Fluctuation Characteristics in High qmin and Low qmin Steady-State Scenario Plasmas on \mbox{DIII-D}

Experiments investigating the impact of the safety factor ($q$) profile on transport and confinement have been carried out in steady-state scenario plasmas on DIII-D. The minimum safety factor was varied between $q_{min}\sim 1.4$ and $q_{min}\sim 2.3$ ($q_{95}$=6.5) using off-axis neutral beam current drive and early beam injection during moderately high beta plasmas ($\beta_N\sim\,$2.3.) The steady-state scenario plasmas with high$q_{min}$ have significantly lower global energy confinement. Long wavelength density fluctuations are measured with a 2D BES array located at $\rho\sim\,$ 0.35-0.85 (scanned during a set of three repeat discharges). The normalized ($\tilde{n}/n$) density fluctuation amplitude integrated over \mbox{50-2500 kHz} is found to be nearly double at higher $q_{min}$ in the region of 0.5 $<\rho <\,$0.85, which is consistent with the lower confinement at high $q_{min}$. In addition, a set of discrete coherent modes associated with energetic particle driven instabilities is observed in this frequency range.