Progress in the definition of the requirements for edge localized mode (ELM) control and the application of ELM control methods both for high fusion performance DT operation and non-active low-current operation in ITER is described. Evaluation of the power fluxes for low plasma current H-modes in ITER shows that uncontrolled ELMs will not lead to damage to the tungsten (W) divertor target, unlike for high-current H-modes in which divertor damage by uncontrolled ELMs is expected. Despite the lack of divertor damage at lower currents, ELM control is found to be required in ITER under these conditions to prevent an excessive contamination of the plasma by W, which could eventually lead to an increased disruptivity. Modelling with the non-linear MHD code JOREK of the physics processes determining the flow of energy from the confined plasma onto the plasma-facing components during ELMs at the ITER scale shows that the relative contribution of conductive and convective losses is intrinsically linked to the magnitude of the ELM energy loss. Modelling of the triggering of ELMs by pellet injection for DIII-D and ITER has identified the minimum pellet size required to trigger ELMs and, from this, the required fuel throughput for the application of this technique to ITER is evaluated and shown to be compatible with the installed fuelling and tritium re-processing capabilities in ITER. The evaluation of the capabilities of the ELM control coil system in ITER for ELM suppression is carried out (in the vacuum approximation) and found to have a factor of ∼2 margin in terms of coil current to achieve its design criterion, although such a margin could be substantially reduced when plasma shielding effects are taken into account. The consequences for the spatial distribution of the power fluxes at the divertor of ELM control by three-dimensional (3D) fields are evaluated and found to lead to substantial toroidal asymmetries in zones of the divertor target away from the separatrix. Therefore, specifications for the rotation of the 3D perturbation applied for ELM control in order to avoid excessive localized erosion of the ITER divertor target are derived. It is shown that a rotation frequency in excess of 1 Hz for the whole toroidally asymmetric divertor power flux pattern is required (corresponding to n Hz frequency in the variation of currents in the coils, where n is the toroidal symmetry of the perturbation applied) in order to avoid unacceptable thermal cycling of the divertor target for the highest power fluxes and worst toroidal power flux asymmetries expected. The possible use of the in-vessel vertical stability coils for ELM control as a back-up to the main ELM control systems in ITER is described and the feasibility of its application to control ELMs in low plasma current H-modes, foreseen for initial ITER operation, is evaluated and found to be viable for plasma currents up to 5-10 MA depending on modelling assumptions.

Strong mitigation of edge-localized modes has been observed on Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak, when lower hybrid waves (LHWs) are applied to H-mode plasmas with ion cyclotron resonant heating. This has been demonstrated to be due to the formation of helical current filaments flowing along field lines in the scrape-off layer induced by LHW. This leads to the splitting of the outer divertor strike points during LHWs similar to previous observations with resonant magnetic perturbations. The change in the magnetic topology has been qualitatively modeled by considering helical current filaments in a field-line-tracing code.

Abstract. A study of three-dimensional perturbed magnetic field structures and transport for edge localized mode control experiments with resonant magnetic perturbations at DIII-D is presented. We focus on ITER-Similar Shape plasmas at ITER relevant electron pedestal collisionalities ν * e ∼ 0.2. This study is performed in comparison to results from TEXTOR-Dynamic Ergodic Divertor circular limiter plasmas. For both experiments the magnetic field structure is analyzed in the vacuum paradigm -superimposing the external RMP field on the unperturbed equilibrium. At TEXTOR this description holds for normalized poloidal flux Ψ N > 0.7 without tearing modes driven by the RMP field. For DIII-D H-mode plasmas the validity of this approach still needs to be established. In this paper a method is discussed to diagnose the degree of edge stochastization based on a comparison between modeled magnetic footprints on the divertor targets and experimental data. Clear evidence is presented for the existence of a generic separatrix perturbation causing striation of target particle fluxes. However, heat fluxes into these striations are small. This observation can be explained by accounting for the different heat and particle source locations and the 3D trajectories of the open, perturbed field lines towards the divertor target. Analysis of the transport characteristics filling the perturbed separatrix lobes based on initial EM C3/EIREN E modeling suggests the existence of open field lines connecting the stochastic edge to the target pattern. However, the width and inward most extent of the stochastic layer can not yet be quantified.

In-vessel, non-axisymmetric, control coils have proven to be an important option for mitigating and suppressing edgelocalized modes (ELMs) in high performance operating regimes on a growing number of tokamaks. Additionally, an in-vessel non-axisymmetric ELM control coil is being considered in the ITER baseline design. In preparing for the initial operation of this coil set, a comprehensive study was carried out to characterize the linear superposition of the 3D vacuum magnetic field, produced by the ELM coil, on a series of equilibria representing nine standard ITER operating scenarios. Here, the spatial phase angle of toroidally distributed currents, specified with a cosine waveform, in the upper and lower rows of the ITER ELM coil (IEC) set is varied in 2 • steps while holding the current in the equatorial row of coils constant. The peak current in each of the three toroidal rows of window-frame coils making up the IEC is scanned between 5 kAt and 90 kAt in 5 kAt steps and the width of the edge region covered by overlapping vacuum field magnetic islands is calculated. This width is compared to a vacuum field ELM suppression correlation criterion found in DIII-D. A minimum coil current satisfying the DIII-D criterion, along with an associated set of phase angles, is identified for each ITER operating scenario. These currents range from 20 kAt to 75 kAt depending on the operating scenario being used and the toroidal mode number (n) of the cosine waveform. Comparisons between the scaling of the divertor footprint area in cases with n = 3 perturbation fields versus those with n = 4 show significant advantages when using n = 3. In addition, it is found that the DIII-D correlation criterion can be satisfied in the event that various combinations of individual IEC window-frame coils need to be turned off due to malfunctioning components located inside the vacuum vessel. Details of these results for both the full set of 27 window-frame coils and various reduced sets, using either n = 3 and n = 4 perturbation fields, are discussed.

Recent experiments on DIII-D have increased confidence in the ability to suppress edge-localized modes (ELMs) using edge-resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) in ITER, including an improved physics basis for the edge response to RMPs as well as expansion of RMP ELM suppression to more ITER-like conditions. Complete ELM suppression has been achieved utilizing n = 3 RMPs in the ITER baseline scenario. In addition, RMP ELM suppression has been expanded to include plasmas with helium concentrations near 25% and the use of n = 2 RMPs. Analysis of the kinetic profile response suggests that ELM suppression is correlated with the co-alignment of the ω ⊥e = 0 location, an n = 3 rational surface, and the top of the pedestal. Modelling predicts that such a co-alignment could potentially lead to island (or island chain) formation just inside the top of the pedestal, inhibiting the growth of the pedestal and thereby maintaining the ELM-free state. Detailed analysis of data obtained during toroidal phase variations of the applied n = 3 RMPs have provided further evidence of an island-like structure at the top of the pedestal. In addition, nearly matched discharges with co-neutral-beam-injection (co-NBI) and counter-NBI have demonstrated the importance of the presence of the ω ⊥e = 0 location for ELM suppression. In the counter-NBI cases, the toroidal rotation profile is such that there is no ω ⊥e = 0 location and ELMs are not suppressed in conditions in which ELM suppression is generally observed with co-NBI.