L-mode radiative plasma edge studies for model validation in ASDEX Upgrade and JET

The presently favoured option for reactor power handling combines metallic plasma-facing components and impurity seeding to achieve highly radiative scrape-off layer and divertor plasmas. It is uncertain whether tolerable divertor power loads will be obtained in this scenario, necessitating the development of predictive modelling tools. L-mode experiments with N₂ seeding have been conducted at both ASDEX Upgrade and JET for benchmarking the critically important impurity radiation models in edge fluid codes. In both machines, particle and power loads are observed to first reduce at the inner target, and only then at the outer target. The outer divertor cools down with increasing N seeding rate, evolving from low-recycling conditions to a regime with peak temperature of 8–10 eV in both devices. First SOLPS5.0 simulations of N₂ seeding in ASDEX Upgrade geometry show a similar in–out asymmetry in the effect of impurity radiation when drifts are activated in the simulations.