For the first time, a research team has demonstrated, in a metal-wall environment, a plasma regime that simultaneously achieves partial divertor detachment, an edge-localized-mode (ELM)-free high-confinement mode (H-mode), and high pedestal performance. This integrated regime was sustained on a minute scale and the work is published in Physical Review Letters.
The team was led by Professor Xu Guosheng from the Institute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Controllable nuclear fusion requires managing extreme heat loads on divertor plates while maintaining plasma stability. While impurity gases can reduce divertor heat through detachment, excessive cooling can damage the plasma edge, and H-mode plasmas are prone to sudden, damaging ELMs. Achieving a steady-state regime that addresses both challenges has been a major international goal.
