Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation of escaping core plasma particles to the scrape-off layer for accurate response of plasma-facing components

During normal and disruptive operations in tokamak devices the escaped core plasma particles are a potential threat to the divertor and nearby component lifetime as well as plasma contamination. Comprehensive enhanced physical and numerical models are developed and implemented in the upgraded High Energy Interaction with General Heterogeneous Target Systems (HEIGHTS) package to accurately predict the impact of the escaped particles on plasma-facing and nearby components. An ab initio Monte Carlo-based kinetic model of the escaping core particles is developed for integration with the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models of the initiated edge plasma where the escaping particles are used as an input volume source. The paper describes details of the 3D Monte Carlo kinetic model, validation and benchmarking and simulation results for both National Spherical Torus Experiment and ITER devices using actual reactor design and magnetic configurations. The simulation results are being implemented self-consistently with various HEIGHTS models that include surface erosion, divertor plasma generation, plasma MHD evolution, heat conduction and detailed photon transport of line and continuum radiation. (paper)