Runaway electron-induced plasma facing component damage in tokamaks

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Ratynskaia, S., Hoelzl, M., Nardon, E., Aleynikov, P., Artola, F. J., Bandaru, V., Beidler, M., Breizman, B., del-Castillo-Negrete, D., De Angeli, M., Dimitriou, V., Ding, R., Eriksson, J., Ficker, O., Granetz, R. S., Hollmann, E., Hoppe, M., Houry, M., Jepu, I., Koslowski, H. R., Liu, C., Martin-Solis, J. R., Pautasso, G., Peneliau, Y., Pitts, R. A., Pokol, G. I., Reux, C., Sheikh, U., Silburn, S. A., Tang, T., Tinguely, R. A., Tolias, P., Tomesova, E., Villari, R.
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2025
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author Ratynskaia, S.
Hoelzl, M.
Nardon, E.
Aleynikov, P.
Artola, F. J.
Bandaru, V.
Beidler, M.
Breizman, B.
del-Castillo-Negrete, D.
De Angeli, M.
Dimitriou, V.
Ding, R.
Eriksson, J.
Ficker, O.
Granetz, R. S.
Hollmann, E.
Hoppe, M.
Houry, M.
Jepu, I.
Koslowski, H. R.
Liu, C.
Martin-Solis, J. R.
Pautasso, G.
Peneliau, Y.
Pitts, R. A.
Pokol, G. I.
Reux, C.
Sheikh, U.
Silburn, S. A.
Tang, T.
Tinguely, R. A.
Tolias, P.
Tomesova, E.
Villari, R.
author_facet Ratynskaia, S.
Hoelzl, M.
Nardon, E.
Aleynikov, P.
Artola, F. J.
Bandaru, V.
Beidler, M.
Breizman, B.
del-Castillo-Negrete, D.
De Angeli, M.
Dimitriou, V.
Ding, R.
Eriksson, J.
Ficker, O.
Granetz, R. S.
Hollmann, E.
Hoppe, M.
Houry, M.
Jepu, I.
Koslowski, H. R.
Liu, C.
Martin-Solis, J. R.
Pautasso, G.
Peneliau, Y.
Pitts, R. A.
Pokol, G. I.
Reux, C.
Sheikh, U.
Silburn, S. A.
Tang, T.
Tinguely, R. A.
Tolias, P.
Tomesova, E.
Villari, R.
contents This Roadmap article addresses the critical and multifaceted challenge of plasma-facing component (PFC) damage caused by runaway electrons (REs) in tokamaks, a phenomenon that poses a significant threat to the viability and longevity of future fusion reactors such as ITER and DEMO. The dramatically increased RE production expected in future high-current tokamaks makes it difficult to avoid or mitigate REs when a plasma discharge terminates abnormally. Preventing damage from the intense localised heat loads REs can cause requires a holistic approach that considers plasma, REs and PFC damage. Despite decades of progress in understanding the physics of REs and the thermomechanical response of PFCs, their complex interplay remains poorly understood. This document aims to initiate a coordinated, interdisciplinary approach to bridge this gap by reviewing experimental evidence, advancing diagnostic capabilities, and improving modelling tools across different scales, dimensionalities and fidelities. Key topics include RE beam formation and transport, damage mechanisms in brittle and metallic PFCs, and observations in major facilities such as JET, DIII-D, WEST and EAST. The Roadmap emphasises the urgency of predictive, high-fidelity modelling validated against well-diagnosed controlled experiments, particularly in the light of recent changes in ITER's wall material strategy and the growing importance of private sector initiatives. Each section of the article is written to provide a concise overview of one area of this multidisciplinary subject, with an assessment of the status, a look at current and future challenges, and a brief summary. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to guide future mitigation strategies and design resilient components that can withstand the loads imposed by REs, thus ensuring the safe and sustainable operation of the next generation of fusion power plants.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_10411
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Runaway electron-induced plasma facing component damage in tokamaks
Ratynskaia, S.
Hoelzl, M.
Nardon, E.
Aleynikov, P.
Artola, F. J.
Bandaru, V.
Beidler, M.
Breizman, B.
del-Castillo-Negrete, D.
De Angeli, M.
Dimitriou, V.
Ding, R.
Eriksson, J.
Ficker, O.
Granetz, R. S.
Hollmann, E.
Hoppe, M.
Houry, M.
Jepu, I.
Koslowski, H. R.
Liu, C.
Martin-Solis, J. R.
Pautasso, G.
Peneliau, Y.
Pitts, R. A.
Pokol, G. I.
Reux, C.
Sheikh, U.
Silburn, S. A.
Tang, T.
Tinguely, R. A.
Tolias, P.
Tomesova, E.
Villari, R.
Plasma Physics
Applied Physics
This Roadmap article addresses the critical and multifaceted challenge of plasma-facing component (PFC) damage caused by runaway electrons (REs) in tokamaks, a phenomenon that poses a significant threat to the viability and longevity of future fusion reactors such as ITER and DEMO. The dramatically increased RE production expected in future high-current tokamaks makes it difficult to avoid or mitigate REs when a plasma discharge terminates abnormally. Preventing damage from the intense localised heat loads REs can cause requires a holistic approach that considers plasma, REs and PFC damage. Despite decades of progress in understanding the physics of REs and the thermomechanical response of PFCs, their complex interplay remains poorly understood. This document aims to initiate a coordinated, interdisciplinary approach to bridge this gap by reviewing experimental evidence, advancing diagnostic capabilities, and improving modelling tools across different scales, dimensionalities and fidelities. Key topics include RE beam formation and transport, damage mechanisms in brittle and metallic PFCs, and observations in major facilities such as JET, DIII-D, WEST and EAST. The Roadmap emphasises the urgency of predictive, high-fidelity modelling validated against well-diagnosed controlled experiments, particularly in the light of recent changes in ITER's wall material strategy and the growing importance of private sector initiatives. Each section of the article is written to provide a concise overview of one area of this multidisciplinary subject, with an assessment of the status, a look at current and future challenges, and a brief summary. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to guide future mitigation strategies and design resilient components that can withstand the loads imposed by REs, thus ensuring the safe and sustainable operation of the next generation of fusion power plants.
title Runaway electron-induced plasma facing component damage in tokamaks
topic Plasma Physics
Applied Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.10411