Parameter dependencies of the experimental nitrogen concentration required for detachment on ASDEX Upgrade and JET

While current tokamak experiments are beginning to use real-time feedback control systems to manage the plasma exhaust, future tokamaks still require validation of theoretical models used to predict the threshold impurity concentration required to sufficiently reduce the power and particle fluxes to the divertor. This work exploits new spectroscopic measurements of the divertor nitrogen concentration, C-N, in partially detached N-2-seeded H-mode plasmas on ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) and JET with the ITER-Like Wall (JET-ILW) to test the parameter dependencies of the power flowing to the outer divertor, P-div,P-outer, and the separatrix electron density, n(e,sep). A least-squares regression of the AUG measurements demonstrates that the threshold C-N required for 90 , 32 77;0 2; 1 7 , 70 36 detachment scales as C-N proportional to P-div,outer(1.19 +/- 0.32) n(e,sep)(-2.77 +/- 0.36). This scaling of n(e,sep) is also consistent with the measurements from JET which, at constant P-div,P-outer, show C-N proportional to n(e,sep)(-2.43 +/- 0.27). The dependencies of P-div,P-outer and n(e,sep) is demonstrated over at least a factor of two change in both parameters and indicates a stronger dependence on n(e,sep) in comparison to the Lengyel model, which could be due to the assumption in this model that the heat flux channel width is independent of density. This first assessment of detachment scaling with impurity seeding highlights the need for further analysis of the systematic uncertainties of the measurement and more consistent scenarios from more tokamaks to investigate the machine size scaling.

Automated summary

Current tokamak experiments are using real-time feedback control systems to manage plasma exhaust, while future tokamaks need validation of theoretical models predicting impurity concentration. New spectroscopic measurements show a correlation between divertor nitrogen concentration and power and separatrix electron density. Further analysis of measurement uncertainties and more consistent scenarios are needed to investigate machine size scaling.