arXiv subjects

O. Pan

Publications and source records attributed to O. Pan.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

JOREK simulations of the X-point radiator formation and its movement in ASDEX Upgrade

Future large-scale magnetic confinement fusion reactors require operational regimes that can avoid extreme heat fluxes onto the plasma-facing components. One promising regime is the X-point radiator (XPR), which relies on a highly radiative, cold and dense plasma volume forming above the X-point, and which can be accessed via impurity seeding. Experimentally, the height of the XPR can be controlled by adjusting the seeding rate and heating power. This contribution presents axisymmetric (2D) simulations of the XPR regime in ASDEX Upgrade using the nonlinear MHD code JOREK extended with a kinetic particle framework for the main species neutrals and nitrogen impurities. With the time-dependent simulations, the progression from attached divertors to a complete detachment with the XPR formation is shown, highlighting the effects of the neutrals and impurities separately. Amidst this progression, the formation and the loss of the high-field-side high-density are observed. After the XPR is well-formed at the height of 6.8 cm, the fuelling and seeding rates are adjusted so that the XPR remains stationary. From the stationary case, the seeding rate is then changed to see how the XPR location reacts. By increasing and decreasing the seeding rate, the XPR responds by moving upwards and downwards, respectively. These simulations show JOREK's capability of simulating time-varying XPR, which will provide a baseline for the transition to 3D simulations, so the MHD activities and their interaction with the XPR can be studied.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2026

A predictive formula for the H-mode electron separatrix density: Bridging regression and physics-based models across C-Mod, AUG and JET tokamaks

The electron density at the separatrix ($n_{e,\mathrm{sep}}$) plays a central role in balancing energy confinement, detachment achievement, and ELM suppression in tokamaks, thereby influencing core-edge integration. To study what determines this key parameter, a database of H-mode separatrix density measurements from Alcator C-Mod, ASDEX Upgrade, and JET tokamaks has been assembled using a consistent analysis method across all devices. This dataset is used to derive a regression scaling expression based solely on engineering parameters, and the results are compared to predictions from the two-point model. The agreement found is remarkable: both the regression and model provide similar parameter dependencies and tokamak-specific multiplicative constants. Building on this agreement, a fully predictive formula that combines the regression dependencies and the two-point model multiplicative constant is proposed. This formula is able to estimate $n_{e,\mathrm{sep}}$ across the three machines within a factor of 1.5, and provides projections to next-step devices (ITER, SPARC, DTT, JT-60SA and COMPASS-U) that are in agreement with available SOLPS simulations.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2025

SOLPS-ITER Numerical Simulations of ITER-scale Snowflake Divertors: Low-Field-Side SF-/SF+ and High-Field-Side SF-/SF+ Configurations

With edge plasma code SOLS-ITER, we study four Snowflake (SF) configurations for an ITER-size tokamak, with toroidal magnetic field BT=5T, major radius R=5m and plasma current Ip=10MA. Our aim is to provide insights on SF divertor design for future devices. In this work, the impacts of magnetic geometry and divertor target geometry in the four types of SF configurations on plasma behavior and power exhaust performance are investigated in detail. Low-recycling regime, high-recycling and detachment in the four types of SF divertors are obtained through an upstream density scan. The secondary X-point positions of SF divertors are systematically varied to examine their impact. For Low-Field-Side (LFS) SF- and High-Field-Side (HFS) SF- divertors the observed power splitting, induced by the secondary X-point, is consistent with experimental observations. The effect of target geometry is studied by comparing the flat target plates with the ITER-like divertor shape. The overall simulation results reveal a notable consequence of the LFS SF- divertor: closed structure of the inner target with high inclined plate can compress recycling neutrals originating from the HFS divertor region into the LFS SOL and PFR regions. This results in considerable volumetric dissipation through strong ionization and recombination, causing the connected outer target region to detach. This feature can be considered in the design of the LFS SF- divertor for future devices. For the LFS and HFS SF+ divertors, the region between the two X-points exhibits strong ionization and recombination sources close to the primary X-point. This feature might be beneficial for the formation of an X-point radiator, but would require further impurity seeding simulation study.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2023

SOLPS-ITER simulation of an X-point radiator in TCV

SOLPS-ITER simulation is performed to reproduce the X-point radiator recently observed in nitrogen-seeded TCV experiments, which is a scenario that may be favorable to solve the power exhaust problems in future fusion devices. The simulations reveal the transition from the detached regime without XPR to the XPR regime, when increasing the nitrogen seeding rate. A cold X-point core surrounded by ionizing and radiative mentals is formed inside the separatrix and slightly above the X-point, where more than 90% of the total input power is dissipated. The cold X-point core exhibits a temperature of approximately 1eV and features high recombination rate to host the convective fluxes from the ionizing mental. Increasing nitrogen seeding rate also moves the nitrogen ionization front away from the target faster than the nitrogen stagnation point, which enhances the divertor nitrogen leakage to the main chamber and benefits the XPR region cooling. Carbon radiation decreases as the nitrogen seeding increases, and carbon radiation contributes to above 5% of the core impurity radiation before entering the XPR, which decreases to 2.8% when reaching the XPR. Both baffled and unbaffled divertor geometries are simulated and compared, showing that baffles facilitate the access to XPR by increasing the X-point neutral density, but requires higher seeding rate to enter the XPR regime.

physics.plasm-ph↗