Transport and effects of ferromagnetic dust in a tokamak with a metallic vessel

Abstract

Important physics effects in contemporary and future devices for magnetic fusion experiments depend on the interface with a ‘composite’ plasma, consisting of multiple ion species and heterogeneous dust with variable charge. A selection of processes related to dust and occurring in existing tokamaks is presented, focusing on new results on the physics of isolated micrometric ferromagnetic dust particles in the SOL of a tokamak with a metallic vessel of circular meridian cross section. Such particles in particular, in addition to usual forces, are subjected to magnetic dipole interaction with the ambient magnetic field and to strong evaporation effects at high surface temperatures. Moreover, preliminary results of inclusion of gaps in the vessel geometry suggest the possibility of dust trapping. Also reported are the effects of nanometre dust on plasma when the dust is to be considered as a plasma component.