Light impurity production in tokamaks

A review is given of the different erosion processes of carbon materials with special emphasis on conditions relevant to plasma surface interactions. New results on the chemical erosion and radiation enhanced sublimation of boron-carbon layers are presented. The chemical hydrocarbon formation produced by the interaction of the TEXTOR scrape-off plasma with a carbon target has been investigated up to temperatures of 1500K using a Sniffer probe. The chemical interaction of the plasma with the carbon walls in TEXTOR is also analysed by measuring the hydrocarbon and CO and CO2 partial pressures built up on the surrounding walls during the discharges. The recycling of oxygen impurities in an all carbon surrounding occurs predominantly in the form of CO and Co2 molecules and the analysis of both neutral pressures during the discharges has been used as an additional diagnostic for the oxygen impurity situation in TEXTOR. These data are discussed in view of spectroscopic measurements on the influx of carbon and oxygen atoms from the walls and impurity line radiation. CD-band spectroscopy in addition is employed to identify the hydrocarbon chemical carbon erosion. Our present understanding of the oxygen impurity recycling and the oxygen sources are described. Particle induced release of CO molecules from the entire first wall is believed to be the dominant influx process of oxygen in the SOL of plasmas with carbon facing materials. The influence of coating the TEXTOR first wall with a boron-carbon film (B/C ≅1) on the light impurity behaviour is shown. (author)