Impact of transport models on local measurements in W7-X using synthetic diagnostics with EMC3-EIRENE and comparison to experimental observations in the W7-X island scrape-off layer

Modelling the scrape-off layer of a stellarator is challenging due to the complex magnetic 3D geometry. The here presented study analyses simulations of the scrape-off layer (SOL) of the stellarator Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) using the EMC3-EIRENE code for the magnetic standard configuration. Comparing with experimental observations, the transport model is validated. Based on the experimentally observed strike line width, the anomalous transport coefficients, used as input to the code are determined to around 0.2 m2/s. This is however in disagreement with upstream measurements, where such small cross-field transport leads to temperatures higher than measured experimentally. Agreement can be improved by using spatially varying transport coefficients. Various differences remain, even with spatially varying transport coefficients. The future implementation of drifts into the transport model are expected to help overcome the discrepancies, and thus the development of SOL transport models including drifts is a necessary next step to study the SOL transport of the W7-X stellarator.