Modelling of island divertor physics and comparison to W7-AS experimental results

Extensive parameter studies have been carried out with the EMC3-EIRENE code. Major code predictions, namely the absence of high recycling prior to detachment, additional momentum losses associated with the specific island divertor geometry and the jump of the radiation at detachment transition have been verified by the W7-AS divertor experiments. Measurements and simulations are compared for high density, high power W7-AS divertor discharges and the physics related to rollover and detachment is discussed in detail. Local comparisons with the W7-AS experiment have been started with a new code version accounting for the real open-island geometry. Specifically, the observed asymmetric power unloading of the target plates at detachment transition could now be reproduced and explained. Agreement with the experiment was also found for the unexpected spatial structure of particle deposition by including classical E×B drifts into the code.