Thermal deposition analysis during disruptions on DIII-D using infrared scanners

The DIII-D tokamak generates plasma discharges with currents up to 3 MA and auxiliary input power up to 20 MW from neutral beams and 4 MW from radio frequency systems. In a disruption, a rapid loss of the plasma current and internal. Thermal energy occurs and the energy is deposited onto the torus graphite wall. Quantifying the spatial and temporal characteristics of the heat deposition is important for engineering and physics-related issues, particularly for designing future machines such as ITER. Using infrared scanners with a time resolution of 120 μs, measurements of the heat deposition onto the all-graphite walls of DIII-D during two types of disruptions have been made. Each scanner contains a single point detector sensitive to 8-12 μm radiation, allowing surface temperatures from 20°C to 2000°C to be measured. A zinc selenide window that transmits in the infrared is used as the vacuum window. Views of the upper and lower divertor regions and the centerpost provide good coverage of the first wall for single and double null divertor discharges. During disruptions, the thermal energy is not deposited evenly onto the inner surface of the tokamak, but is deposited primarily in the divertor region when operating diverted discharges. Analysis of the heat deposition during a radiative collapse disruption of a 1.5 MA discharge revealed power densities of 300-350 MW/m² in the divertor region. During the thermal quench of the disruption, the energy deposited onto the divertor region was more than 70% of the stored thermal energy in the discharge prior to the disruption. The spatial distribution and temporal behavior of power deposition during high β disruptions will also be presented