Mechanics of ELM control coil induced alpha particle transport

TL;DR

This study models alpha particle transport in ITER considering ELM control coils, plasma response, and other factors, revealing how plasma response can both shield and open new loss channels affecting divertor loads.

Contribution

It demonstrates that plasma response modifies alpha particle transport, introducing a new loss mechanism influenced by the X-point, with differences observed between MARS-F and JOREK calculations.

Findings

Plasma response shields flux surfaces but opens new loss channels.

PR causes toroidal variation leading to de-localisation of banana tips.

Divertor loads shift from targets to dome structures.

Abstract

Using the orbit-following code ASCOT, we model alpha particle transport in ITER under the influence of ELM control coils (ECCs), toroidal field ripple, and test blanket modules, with emphasis on how the plasma response (PR) modifies the transport mechanisms and fast ion loads on the divertor. We found that while PR shields the plasma by healing broken flux surfaces, it also opens a new loss channel for marginally trapped particles: PR causes strong toroidal variation of the poloidal field near the X-point which leads to de-localisation of banana tips and collisionless transport. The reduction in passing particle losses and the increase in marginally trapped particle losses shift divertor loads from targets to the dome and under-the-dome structures. The plasma response was calculated by both MARS-F and JOREK codes. The new transport mechanism was stronger for PR calculated by JOREK which, unlike MARS-F, explicitly includes the X-point.