In 2008, ASDEX Upgrade has started its second experimental campaign with full tungsten coverage of the plasma facing components. In the transition from a partially W-coated device (69% tungsten coverage in 2004/2005) to a full tungsten device (since 2007), post campaign analyses show a reduction by an order of magnitude in both the carbon deposition and deuterium retention for the experimental campaigns. Spectroscopic measurements show that the outer divertor is by far the strongest tungsten source region. However, influxes from the outboard limiters are the most important source for the tungsten content in the plasma. The application of ICRH results in large W influxes due to sputtering from light impurities accelerated by electrical fields at the ICRH antennas. In H-mode discharges, ELMs reduce the inward transport of tungsten in the H-mode edge transport barrier. Central heating provided by neutral beams and the upgraded ECRH systems is used to avoid tungsten accumulation in the core of the plasma. Stationary, ITER relevant H-modes (H98 ∼ 1, βN ∼ 1.6–2), with W concentrations below 3 × 10−5, were routinely achieved. High performance H-modes have been obtained before the first boronization, achieving H98 = 1.1–1.2 and βN up to 2.6 as required for advanced scenarios in ITER. Specific ITER studies performed in 2008 include the demonstration of low voltage plasma start-up with ECRH and heating during the current rise to q95 = 3, to achieve a range of plasma inductance of 0.71–0.97. The new results reported here form the basis of further enhancing the operational space of ASDEX Upgrade with the full tungsten wall, preparing for ITER and the ITER-like wall project in JET.
Operation of the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak