Radiative divertor plasmas with convection in DIII-D

The radiation of divertor heat flux on DIII-D [J. Luxon et al., in Proceedings of the 11th international Conference on Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1987), p. 159] is shown to greatly exceed the limits imposed by assumptions of energy transport dominated by electron thermal conduction parallel to the magnetic field. Approximately 90% of the power flowing into the divertor is dissipated through low-Z radiation and plasma recombination. The dissipation is made possible by an extended region of low electron temperature in the divertor. A one-dimensional analysis of the parallel heat flux finds that the electron temperature profile is incompatible with conduction-dominated parallel transport. Plasma flow at up to the ion acoustic speed, produced by upstream ionization, can account for the parallel heat flux. Modeling with the two-dimensional fluid code UEDGE [T. Rognlien, J. L. Milovich, M. E. Rensink, and G. D. Porter, J. Nucl. Mater. 196-198, 347 (1992)] has reproduced many of the observed experimental features. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.