Diagnostic options for radiative divertor feedback control on NSTX-U

A radiative divertor technique is used in present tokamak experiments and planned for ITER to mitigate high heat loads on divertor plasma-facing components (PFCs) to prevent excessive material erosion and thermal damage. In NSTX, a large spherical tokamak with lithium-coated graphite PFCs and high divertor heat flux (qpeak⩽ 15 MW/m2), radiative divertor experiments have demonstrated a significant reduction of divertor peak heat flux simultaneously with good core H-mode confinement using pre-programmed D2 or CD4 gas injections. In this work diagnostic options for a new real-time feedback control system for active radiative divertor detachment control in NSTX-U, where steady-state peak divertor heat fluxes are projected to reach 20–30 MW/m2, are discussed. Based on the NSTX divertor detachment measurements and analysis, the control diagnostic signals available for NSTX-U include divertor radiated power, neutral pressure, spectroscopic deuterium recombination signatures, infrared thermography of PFC surfaces, and thermoelectric scrape-off layer current. In addition, spectroscopic "security" monitoring of possible confinement or pedestal degradation is recommended. These signals would be implemented in a digital plasma control system to manage the divertor detachment process via an actuator (impurity gas seeding rate).