Asymmetry of dense divertor plasmas influenced by thermoelectric potential and charge-exchange momentum loss

Hayashi, Nobuhiko; Takizuka, Tomonori; Hosokawa, Masanari*; Shimizu, Katsuhiro

Asymmetric equilibria of divertor plasmas influenced by the thermoelectric potential and the momentum loss due to the charge-exchange have been studied by using the five-point model. The momentum loss becomes large when the divertor plasma temperature decreases below about 10 eV. The pre-sheath potential is increased by the momentum loss and compensates for the decrease in the thermoelectric potential at the low-temperature side of the asymmetric equilibrium. Through The change of the pre-sheath potential, the momentum loss has a stabilizing effect on the thermoelectric instability and mitigates the asymmetry. To lower the temperature by the recycling at the one-side divertor, the high recycling and the resultant momentum loss at the other-side divertor are effective because of the bifurcated structure of the equilibrium.