Characterizing pedestal turbulence in the tokamak I-mode is a crucial step in understanding how particle and heat transport decouple during I-mode operation. This work models an ASDEX Upgrade I-mode discharge for the first time via linear and nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations with the GENE code. L-mode and I-mode regimes at two different pedestal locations are investigated. A microtearing mode which is not apparent in initial value linear L-mode simulations is found to dominate in I-mode simulations at both radial positions, and ion-scale instabilities are characterized for all four scenarios linearly. Computed nonlinear heat flux values approach experimental measurements with nominal input parameters in three of the four cases, and heat transport is found to be dominated by ion-scale electrostatic turbulence. Electrostatic potential oscillation frequencies, as well as potential-temperature and potential-density crossphases are compared linearly and nonlinearly, and agreement is found at wavenumber ranges corresponding with peaks in the simulated heat flux spectra at one radial position for L-mode and I-mode.

Understanding edge-localised-mode (ELM)-free high-confinement (H-)mode scenarios is vital for developing practical future demonstration reactor scenarios. An argon-seeded EDA H-mode discharge performed in ASDEX Upgrade is computationally studied in detail for the first time with the gyrokinetic GENE code using experimental profiles and magnetic equilibrium as direct code inputs. Linear scans outline dominant instabilities in the regime and reveal distinct ion- and electron-scale wavenumber growth-rate peaks for two local core and two local pedestal top scenarios. Linear ion-scale growth rates are found to be relatively insensitive to the addition of argon, and collisionality scans demonstrate increased sensitivity in the pedestal top. The addition of an argon impurity profile while keeping the input main ion temperature gradient (ITG) largely unchanged is found to reduce ITG-driven turbulence in the outer core. Nonlinear electromagnetic simulations reveal close agreement with experimentally predicted heat fluxes in the core, outline key sensitivities to electron $\beta$ and background $\boldsymbol{E\times B}$ shearing, and reveal gyrokinetic challenges in analysing the quasicoherent mode. Global electrostatic nonlinear simulations reduce local simulated heat transport overpredictions at the pedestal top. A quasilinear analysis finds that there is good core agreement but poor agreement in the pedestal between linear and nonlinear temperature and density fluctuation cross-phases. Local simulation limitations are elucidated and paths forward for future computation are suggested.