Influence of plasma opacity on current decay after disruptions in tokamaks

Current decays after disruptions as well as after noble gas injections in tokamaks are examined. As is shown, the cooled plasmas at the stage of current decay are partially opaque for radiation in lines giving the main impact into total thermal losses. The thermal balance is supposed to be determined by Ohmic heating and radiative losses. A zero-dimensional model for radiation losses and temperature distribution over minor radius is used. Plasma current evolution is simulated with DIMRUN and DINA codes. Impurity distribution over ionization states is calculated from the time-dependent set of differential equations. The opacity effects are found to be most important for simulation of JET disruption experiments with beryllium- and carbon-seeded plasmas. The decay times calculated are in good agreement with the experimental values. Current decays in beryllium-, carbon-, argon- and neon-seeded plasmas for ITER parameters are simulated. The temperatures after thermal quench are shown to be significantly higher in comparison with the model of transparent plasmas. Opacity effects are found to be most important for Be- and C-seeded plasmas. Runaway electron currents are damped significantly if opacity effects are taken into account in any case examined