V. Kotov

Analysis of performance of the optimized divertor in ITER

The paper describes the results of a physics analysis of a modified divertor cassette for ITER. The issues addressed are the impact on the operational window, the effect of gas leaks through the broader gaps between the divertor cassettes and radiation power loading of different components of the cassettes. The analysis shows that the new design ensuring more flexibility for ITER operation remains acceptable within the framework of the usual trade-off between the target power loading and helium removal efficiency. The radiation load on the side walls of the cassette structures in the inter-cassette gaps is identified as a design constraint not previously considered.

Progress in research and development of mirrors for ITER diagnostics

Metallic mirrors will be used as plasma-viewing elements in all optical and laser diagnostic systems in ITER. In the harsh environment of ITER, the performance of mirrors will decrease mainly because of the erosion of their surfaces and deposition of impurities. The deterioration of the optical properties of diagnostic mirrors will directly affect the entire performance of the respective ITER diagnostics, possibly leading to their shutdown. Therefore, R&D on mirrors is of crucial importance for ITER diagnostics. There is a coordinated worldwide R&D programme supervised by the Specialists Working Group on first mirrors of the International Tokamak Physics Activity, Topical Group on Diagnostics. This paper provides an overview of new results in the field of first mirrors, covering the manufacturing of ITER mirror prototypes, investigations of mitigation of deposition and mirror cleaning and the predictive modelling of the mirror performance in ITER. The current status of research on beryllium deposition—a new critical area of mirror research—is given along with an outlook for future activities.

Modelling of DEMO core plasma consistent with SOL/divertor simulations for long-pulse scenarios with impurity seeding

The integrated core-pedestal-SOL model is applied to the simulation of a typical DEMO operation. Impurity seeding is used to reduce the power load on the divertor to acceptable levels. The influence on long-pulse operation of impurity seeding with various impurities is investigated. DEMO operation at acceptable peak power loads and long-pulse lengths is demonstrated.

Study of the feasibility of applying laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for in-situ characterization of deposited layers in fusion devices

This paper presents a feasibility study of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for the development of an in-situ diagnostic for the characterization of deposition layers on plasma-facing components in fusion devices. Preferentially, LIBS would be applied in the presence of a toroidal magnetic field and under high vacuum conditions. The impact of the laser-energy densities on the laser-induced plasma parameters and correspondingly on the number of emitted photons and on the reproducibility of the LIBS method has been studied in laboratory experiments and in TEXTOR on fine-grain graphite (EK98) as well as on bulk W samples coated with carbon and metallic-containing deposits. The effect of magnetic fields and of ambient pressures in the range from 2×10–4 Pa to 10 Pa on the carbon plasma plume produced by the LIBS technique has been studied on TEXTOR between plasma pulses. The possibility of applying this method to ITER is discussed.

Numerical estimates of the ITER first wall erosion due to fast neutral particles

Estimates of the ITER first wall steady-state sputtering due to fast atoms are made based on the B2-EIRENE modelling of the scrape-off layer (SOL) plasma. Models with fully diffusive and convective cross-field transport in the SOL are investigated. It is found that strong radial convection in the far-SOL has only a weak effect on the plasma profiles there. Effective yields of the physical sputtering of Be, C, Mo and W as well as their corresponding erosion rates at the first wall are calculated. The results are compared with available published data.

ITER divertor performance in the low-activation phase

The paper presents results of SOLPS modelling of the edge plasma performance during the low-activation phase of ITER operation. The calculations show that the peak power loading of the divertor targets can reach the reactor-relevant level of 3 to 5?MW?m?2, even without the fusion reactions, rendering commissioning of the high heat flux components possible in this phase. Parametrization of the output of the SOLPS runs for the predominantly helium plasma concerned by the studies reported here is performed, thus providing the boundary conditions for modelling of the core and allowing efficient integration of the core and edge models. This approach, using the ASTRA code for core simulations, is applied to the analysis of hydrogen accumulation in helium plasmas due to H pellet injection. The latter is the only available option for early testing of ELM pace-making as an ELM control tool assuming H-mode in hydrogen will not be possible. Critical dilution with H down to 70% He in the core plasma can be reached in only 0.5 to 1?s or even shorter, depending on the assumptions made.

Divertor stray light analysis in JET-ILW and implications for the H-α diagnostic in ITER

We report on the first results for the spectrum of divertor stray light (DSL) and the signal-to-background ratio for D-α light emitted from the far SOL and divertor in JET in the recent ITER-like wall (ILW) campaign. The results support the expectation of a strong impact of DSL upon the H-alpha (and Visible Light) Spectroscopy Diagnostic in ITER.

Studies of protection and recovery techniques of diagnostic mirrors for ITER

In optical diagnostic systems of ITER, mirrors will be used to guide the light from plasma towards detectors and cameras. The mirrors will be subjected to erosion due to fast particles and to deposition of impurities from the plasma which will affect adversely the mirror reflectivity and therefore must be suppressed or mitigated at the maximum possible extent. Predictive modeling envisages the successful suppression of deposition in the diagnostic ducts with fins trapping the impurities on their way towards mirrors located in the end of these ducts. To validate modeling predictions, cylindrical and cone-shaped diagnostic ducts were exposed in TEXTOR for 3960 s of plasma operation. After exposure, no drastic suppression of deposition was observed in the cylindrical ducts with fins. At the same time, no detectable deposition was found on the mirrors located at the end of cone-shaped ducts outlining the advantages of the cone geometry. Analyses of exposure provide evidence that the contamination of exposed mirrors was due to wall conditioning discharges and not due to working plasma exposure. Cleaning by plasma sputtering was performed on molybdenum mirrors pre-coated with a 100 nm thick aluminum film. Aluminum was used as a proxy of beryllium. During exposure in electron cyclotron resonance-generated helium plasma, the entire coating was sputtered within nine hours, leaving no trace of aluminum and leading to the full recovery of the specular reflectivity without detrimental effects on the mirror surface.

Modelling the transport of deuterium and tritium neutral particles in a divertor plasma

A fluid model for transport of deuterium and tritium atoms in two-dimensional geometry of a poloidal divertor is elaborated by taking into account the coupling of both isotopes through the processes of cross-charge-exchange. Calculations are performed for the plasma parameters predicted with the code package B2-EIRENE (SOLPS4.3) for the divertor region in ITER. The results demonstrate that the transparency of the scrape-off layer for neutral particles generated by recycling on target plates and recombination of electrons and ions in the plasma volume can be significantly different for deuterium and tritium atoms. This difference has to be taken into account by considering the global particle balances in a reactor. The numerical approach applied for calculations is verified by comparing with an analytical model elaborated for the case of plasma parameters homogeneous in the divertor domain.

Plasma spectroscopy in the conditions of the ITER tokamak

The state of art of the line shape modeling techniques involved in tokamak edge plasma spectroscopy is reported, in the context of the preparation for ITER. Hydrogen spectra are calculated assuming a line-of-sight crossing a 2D-plasma background obtained from numerical simulations. The Doppler, Zeeman and Stark effects are retained. The possibility for a line shape-based diagnostic of the ITER divertor plasma is examined through fittings of simulated spectra and comparison with the input plasma fields. The role of turbulent fluctuations on line shapes is also examined.