Studies of giant ELM interaction with the divertor target in JET

In this paper we present an overview of recent studies of giant ELM interaction with the divertor target in JET. With 1D modelling, we reproduce the experimentally found time behaviour of the divertor plasma parameters and show the non-linear dependence of the particle flux and Dα intensity peak on the ELM power loss. Measurements of the impurity influx from the target plates show non-sputtering contributions. During ELMs we find a strong current of the order of magnitude of the ion saturation current flowing from the plasma to the target plate near both strike points. The magnitude of the total current is high enough to account for the observed movement of the strike points. The main plasma moves during the ELM vertically and horizontally in a characteristic way. The movement is best described by an n=0, m=1 mode. (orig.)