Validating the 3D edge code EMC3-EIRENE against 2D simulations with EDGE2D-EIRENE for JET single null configurations

The 3D edge plasma transport code EMC3-EIRENE [1] was successfully adapted to the single null configuration of JET. A test bed with the well established 2D edge plasma code EDGE2D-EIRENE [2,3] was prepared to check the adaptation of the EMC3-EIRENE code and isolate any discrepancies when compared. While both codes solve essentially the same set of reduced Braginskii's fluid equations, they use very different numerical techniques: a 3D Lagrangian Monte Carlo method in EMC3 and a 2D Eulerian finite differences scheme in EDGE2D. The results should be very similar as both codes are iteratively coupled to the same kinetic neutral particle Monte Carlo code EIRENE [4]. We show that both codes are in a fairly good quantitative agreement regarding both midplane and target plasma profiles as well as transition from low to high recycling regime with increasing core plasma density. (C) 2011 EURATOM. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.