Particle exhaust with vented structures: application to the ergodic divertor of Tore Supra

In a thermonuclear reactor, one must continuously fuel the discharge and extract the ashes resulting from fusion reactions. To avoid the risk of discharge poisoning, α-particle concentration is limited to ∼ 10 %. To allow for steady-state conditions requires then to extract ≥2 % of the helium out flux. In Tore Supra, the ergodic divertor is the main component managing the heat and particle fluxes at the edge. Its principle consists in generating a resonant perturbation able to destroy magnetic surfaces at the plasma periphery. In this region, the field lines are open and connected at both ends to neutralizers which are wetted by the major part of the heat and particle fluxes and are the structures through which a part of the plasma out flux is pumped for maintaining the discharge in steady-state conditions. This work describes the neutral recirculation around the ergodic divertor and is based on a data base of 56 discharges. One discuss the two processes allowing for particle exhaust: the ballistic collection of ions and that of neutrals backscattered by atomic reactions. These two processes are modelled accounting for a realistic description of the divertor geometry. A comparison between simulations and experiments is presented for measurements characterising the three main actors of plasma-wall interaction: the edge plasma, the Dα light emission and the neutral pressure in the divertor plenum. Last, one question how such a system can be extrapolated to next step machines, for which one must account for technical constraints linked to the presence of the shield protecting the coils from the high neutron flux. (author)