Influence of magnetic field configurations on divertor plasma parameters in the W7-AS stellarator

The new island divertor in W7-AS enables quasi steady-state operation with NBI at very high density including scenarios with stable detachment from the targets. Experiments with reversed B-field indicate that the interaction zones on the targets are affected in first order by E x B drifts. Stable detachment is restricted to magnetic field configurations with sufficiently large separation between x-points and targets and not too small field line pitch inside the islands. It is always partial in the sense that it does not extend over the full target area. This inhomogeneity is ascribed to an in/out asymmetry of the electron temperature at the upstream separatrix position. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.