Reliable modeling of macroscopic melt motion induced by fast transients requires the accurate and computationally efficient description of the emitted current density that escapes to the pre-sheath. The ITER sheaths that surround hot tungsten surfaces during edge-localized modes are characterized by important contributions from secondary electron emission and electron backscattering as well as by the coupling between thermionic emission and field electron emission. Under the guidance of systematic particle-in-cell simulations that incorporate a comprehensive analytical electron emission model, a highly accurate semi-empirical treatment of the escaping electron current has been achieved.
Including the effect of secondary-electron emission at the divertor targets in code modelling