Modeling of the edge plasma of MAST Upgrade with a Super-X divertor including drifts and an edge transport barrier

The Super-X divertor edge plasma of the future MAST Upgrade tokamak (Lisgo et al 2009 36th EPS Plasma Physics Conf.33E O4-046, Katramados et al 2011 Fusion Eng. Des.86 1595, Morris 2012 IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.40 682) was simulated with the B2SOLPS5.2 transport code including, for the first time, the effects of drifts due to electric field and magnetic field gradients. The previous simulations did not contain drift effects as well as an account of the external transport barrier. The expected reduction in temperatures and heat flux densities at the low-field side divertors was obtained in the simulations. However, an account of drifts and parallel currents led to an up–down asymmetry of the power to the plates in the connected double null configuration, which was not observed in the simulations without drifts.