Dust collection after the high fluence campaign of the WEST tokamak

Abstract

For Phase 2 of WEST, the lower divertor was entirely equipped with actively cooled ITER grade plasma-facing units made of chains of tungsten beveled monoblocks. In this configuration, dust particles were collected in 2023, after the first plasma campaign mainly dedicated to repetitive long pulses in the conditions of attached plasmas to the divertor. Due to a high particle fluence and a significant tungsten erosion, large quantities of dust were produced. In addition to those produced during off-normal events and the flaking of deposits which are typical of tokamak wall erosion, dust particles due to the flaking of pure tungsten thin layers deposited on the shadowed areas of beveled monoblocks were found. As specific characteristic, these thin layers may not adhere to the divertor and consequently, may be peeled off and mobilized during plasma operation.