ELM control with RMP: plasma response models and the role of edge peeling response

TL;DR

This paper reviews plasma response models to resonant magnetic perturbations (RMP) for controlling edge localized modes (ELMs) in tokamaks, emphasizing the significance of edge peeling response as a key indicator for ELM mitigation.

Contribution

It compares various plasma response models, highlighting the utility of linear response models and the importance of edge peeling response in ELM control strategies.

Findings

Linear response models offer alternative criteria for coil configuration optimization.

Edge peeling response is a crucial indicator for ELM mitigation.

RMP effectiveness varies with plasma collisionality and device configuration.

Abstract

Resonant magnetic perturbations (RMP) have extensively been demonstrated as a plausible technique for mitigating or suppressing large edge localized modes (ELMs). Associated with this is a substantial amount of theory and modelling efforts during recent years. Various models describing the plasma response to the RMP fields have been proposed in the literature, and are briefly reviewed in this work. Despite their simplicity, linear response models can provide alternative criteria, than the vacuum field based criteria, for guiding the choice of the coil configurations to achieve the best control of ELMs. The role of the edge peeling response to the RMP fields is illustrated as a key indicator for the ELM mitigation in low collisionality plasmas, in various tokamak devices.