Experiments in support of the Gas Dynamic Trap based facility for plasma–material interaction testing

The power density along the field lines in the scrape-off layer plasma in machines of the class of ITER, Wendelstein 7-X, NSTX-U is in the range of few hundreds megawatt per square meter. It is crucial for the future of tokamaks and stellarators to develop the plasma science and component technology to handle such high plasma heat fluxes. It would be valuable to produce parallel plasma heat fluxes at these power densities, impinging on test components at very shallow angles, as planned in tokamaks. The primary objective of this work is the direct measurement of plasma heat fluxes in the mirror throat of a Gas Dynamic Trap device. Options to develop a facility for plasma–material interaction testing based on the Gas Dynamic Trap are discussed.