Plasma-wall interaction on the divertor tiles of JET ITER-like wall from the viewpoint of micro/nanoscopic observations

Abstract

Micro/nanoscopic observations on the surface of the divertor tiles used in the first campaign (2011–2012) of the JET tokamak with ITER-like Wall (JET ILW) have been carried out by means of several material analysis techniques. Previous results from the inner divertor were reported for a single poloidal section of the tile numbers 1, 3 and 4, i.e., upper, vertical and horizontal targets, respectively. The formation of the thick stratified mixed-material deposition layer on tiles 1 and 4, and erosion on tile 3 were identified. This study is mostly focused on the outer divertor: tiles 6, 7 and 8. In contrast to the inner tile, remarkable surface modifications have not been observed on the vertical target (tiles 7 and 8) where sputtering erosion and impurity deposition would have been almost balanced. Only a specific part of tile 6 (horizontal target) located near the exhaust channel was covered with a stratified (“geological-like”) mixed-material deposition layer which mainly included Be and Ni with the thickness of ∼2 μm. Special feature of this mixed layer was that a certain amount of nitrogen (N) was clearly detected in the layer. Since the concentration of N varied with the depth position, it could be depended on the amount of that gas puffed for plasma edge cooling during the JET experimental campaign. In addition to the outer divertor tiles, a very interesting feature of the local erosion and deposition effects is reported in this paper.