• Energy Research

Abstract JOREK is a massively parallel fully implicit non-linear extended magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) code for realistic tokamak X-point plasmas. It has become a widely used versatile simulation code for studying large-scale plasma instabilities and their control and is continuously developed in an international community with strong involvements in the European fusion research programme and ITER organization. This article gives a comprehensive overview of the physics models implemented, numerical methods applied for solving the equations and physics studies performed with the code. A dedicated section highlights some of the verification work done for the code. A hierarchy of different physics models is available including a free boundary and resistive wall extension and hybrid kinetic-fluid models. The code allows for flux-surface aligned iso-parametric finite element grids in single and double X-point plasmas which can be extended to the true physical walls and uses a robust fully implicit time stepping. Particular focus is laid on plasma edge and scrape-off layer (SOL) physics as well as disruption related phenomena. Among the key results obtained with JOREK regarding plasma edge and SOL, are deep insights into the dynamics of edge localized modes (ELMs), ELM cycles, and ELM control by resonant magnetic perturbations, pellet injection, as well as by vertical magnetic kicks. Also ELM free regimes, detachment physics, the generation and transport of impurities during an ELM, and electrostatic turbulence in the pedestal region are investigated. Regarding disruptions, the focus is on the dynamics of the thermal quench (TQ) and current quench triggered by massive gas injection and shattered pellet injection, runaway electron (RE) dynamics as well as the RE interaction with MHD modes, and vertical displacement events. Also the seeding and suppression of tearing modes (TMs), the dynamics of naturally occurring TQs triggered by locked modes, and radiative collapses are being studied.

Before decommissioning of the TEXTOR tokamak in 2013, the machine was conditioned with a comprehensive migration experiment where MoF6 and 15N2 were injected on the very last operation day. Thereafter, all plasma-facing components (PFCs) were available for extensive studies of both local and global migration of impurities – Mo, W, Inconel alloy constituents, 15 N, F – and fuel retention studies. Measurements were performed on 140 limiter tiles out of 864 throughout the whole machine to map global transport. One fifth of the introduced molybdenum could be found. Wherever possible, the findings are compared to results obtained previously in other machines. This review incorporates both published and unpublished results from this TEXTOR study and combines findings with analytical methods as well as modelling results from two codes, ERO and ASCOT. The main findings are: • Both local and global molybdenum transport can be explained by toroidal plasma flow and E⇀×B⇀ drift. The suggested transport scheme for molybdenum holds also for other analysed species, namely tungsten from previous experiments and medium-Z metals (Cr-Cu) introduced on various occasions.• Analytical interpretation of several deposition profile features is possible with basic geometrical and plasma physics considerations. These are deposition profiles on the collector probe, the lower part of the inner bumper limiter, the poloidal cross-section of the inner bumper limiter, and the poloidal limiter.• Any deposition pattern found in this TEXTOR study, including fuel retention, has neither poloidal nor toroidal symmetry, which is often assumed when determining deposition profiles on global scale.• Fuel retention is highly inhomogeneous due to local variation of plasma parameters – by auxiliary heating systems and impurity injection – and PFC temperature.• Local modelling with ERO yields good qualitative agreement but too high local deposition efficiency.• Global modelling with ASCOT shows that the radial electric field and source form have a high impact on global deposition patterns, while toroidal flow has little influence. Some of the experimental findings could be reproduced. Still, qualitative differences between simulated and experimental global deposition patterns remain. The review closes with lessons learnt during this extensive TEXTOR study which might be helpful for future scientific exploitation of other tokamaks to be decommissioned.

Erosion, transport and deposition of wall impurities are major concerns in future magnetic fusion devices, both from the perspective of the fusion plasma and the machine wall. An extensive study on molybdenum transport and deposition performed in the TEXTOR tokamak yielded a detailed deposition map that is ideal for benchmark deposition studies. A qualitative benchmark is attempted in this article with the ASCOT code. We set up a full 3D model of the TEXTOR tokamak and studied the influence of different physical mechanisms and their strengths on molybdenum deposition patterns on the simulated plasma-facing components: atomic processes, Coulomb collisions, scrape-off layer (SOL) profiles, source distribution, marker starting energy, radial electric field strength, SOL flow and toroidal plasma rotation. The outcome comprises 13 simulations, each with 100,000 markers. The findings are: • Toroidal plasma movement, either within the LCFS or as SOL flow, is negligible. • SOL profile and marker starting energy have modest impact on deposition. • Source distribution has a large impact in combination with radial electric field profiles. • The E⇀×B⇀ drift has the highest impact on the deposition profiles.