Numerical analysis of tungsten transport in drift-optimized stellarator with ergodic and nonergodic plasma configurations

Abstract

The radial transport of tungsten ions in a fusion plasma of the HELIAS stellarator with five magnetic field periods is studied by means of a new numerical code. The code solves guiding center equations for test particles (tungsten ions) with the use of a Runge–Kutta integrating scheme. Coulomb scattering of the tungsten ions on the background plasma particles (electrons, deuterons and tritons) is simulated by means of a discretized collision operator based on the binomial distribution and presented in terms of pitch-angle scattering and energy slowing down and scattering. The coronal model is used to determine the mean charge state of the tungsten ion ensemble ⟨Z(Te, ne)⟩ as a function of background electron temperature and density. Two plasma configurations with and without ergodic confinement regions and both with finite plasma pressure of β = 3% are considered. The nonergodic configuration possesses closed nested magnetic surfaces throughout the entire confinement volume. The ergodic magnetic field configuration is represented through additional magnetic field perturbations. Comparative analysis of the radial transport is performed for a time interval greater by a factor of 15 than the energy confinement time τE = 1.62 s required for the HELIAS reactor. In spite of the fact that the tendency of impurities to penetrate towards the plasma core is observed in both cases, the stochastic scenario exhibits reduced inward impurity flux.