Ergodic divertor impact on Tore Supra plasma edge

Abstract The present ergodic divertor experiments in Tore Supra have been devoted to benchmarking the operational regimes of the apparatus. Two major effects are reported: on the one hand, strong changes occur in the ergodized boundary layer (up to 20% of the minor radius), and on the other hand, the central plasma and especially the confinement is not directly affected, i.e. the observed modifications are induced by edge effects. The basic trends, which are recorded are a decrease of both the edge electronic temperature and the edge density gradient while the radiated power is increased at the very edge of the ergodic region. The latter feature is in agreement with the impurity line emission characterized by an increase of the peripheral lines with a strong decrease of the central lines.