Simulation of the SPARC plasma boundary with the UEDGE code

In this work, the UEDGE edge transport code is used to examine conditions in the SPARC divertor and edge plasma for various levels of carbon impurity and power from the core (P (SOL)). A double-null magnetic configuration is simulated assuming up-down symmetry in geometry and physics. The anomalous heat and particle transport coefficients are tuned to match empirical predictions for SPARC's midplane density profiles, target plate heat flux profiles, and inner/outer divertor power sharing. Convective transport is included on the low-field side, while on the high-field side the transport is modeled as purely diffusive. Hydrogen neutrals are modeled as a fluid with inertial effects, and a carbon impurity is included using the fixed-fraction model. We find that detachment induced by impurity seeding could significantly reduce the heat flux to the divertor surfaces in the SPARC tokamak. At P (SOL) = 28 MW (the value predicted for SPARC's full-power H-mode scenario) cases with both divertor legs detached were obtained with a carbon impurity fraction between 0.3%-1.4%, far below Z (eff) limits for SPARC. When the plasma in the outer leg is detached, the peak heat flux density perpendicular to the target plate is below 1 MW m(-2), electron and ion temperatures are less than 1.5 eV, and momentum detachment is observed. However, the detachment state is found to be sensitive to the side-wall boundary conditions, the level of neutral pumping, and the target plate tilt. Finally, a broadly similar SOLPS simulation of SPARC is used to assess the appropriateness of the simpler impurity and neutral models used in UEDGE.

Automated summary

The study investigates edge transport in the SPARC tokamak using the UEDGE code for various levels of carbon impurity and core power, finding that impurity seeding can reduce heat flux significantly and detachment of the plasma in the outer leg can lead to lower heat flux and temperatures. The detachment state is sensitive to boundary conditions, neutral pumping, and target plate tilt.