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(EX/P4-19) Liquid Lithium Limiter Effects on Tokamak Plasmas and Plasma-Liquid Surface Interactions

R. Kaita¹⁾, R. Majeski¹⁾, R. Doerner²⁾, G. Antar²⁾, M. Baldwin²⁾, R. Conn²⁾, P. Efthimion¹⁾, M. Finkenthal³⁾, D. Hoffman¹⁾, B. Jones¹⁾, S. Krashenninikov²⁾, H. Kugel¹⁾, S. Luckhardt²⁾, R. Maingi⁴⁾, J. Menard¹⁾, T. Munsat¹⁾, D. Stutman³⁾, G. Taylor¹⁾, J. Timberlake¹⁾, V. Soukhanovskii¹⁾, D. Whyte²⁾, R. Woolley¹⁾, L. Zakharov^1)
 
1) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton (NJ), USA
²⁾ University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
³⁾ Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, MD, USA
⁴⁾ Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA

Abstract.  We present the results from the first experiments with a large area liquid lithium limiter in a magnetic fusion device, and its effect on improving plasma performance by reducing particle recycling. Using large area liquid metal surfaces in any major fusion device is unlikely before a test on a smaller scale. This has motivated its demonstration in the CDX-U spherical torus with a unique, fully toroidal lithium limiter. The highest current discharges were obtained with a liquid lithium limiter. There was a reduction in recycling, as indicated by a significant decrease in the deuterium-alpha emission and oxygen radiation. How these results might extrapolate to reactors is suggested in recycling/retention experiments with liquid lithium surfaces under high-flux deuterium and helium plasma bombardment in PISCES-B. Data on deuterium atoms retained in liquid lithium indicate retention of all incident ions until full volumetric conversion to lithium deuteride. The PISCES-B results also show a material loss mechanism that lowers the maximum operating temperature compared to that for the liquid surface equilibrium vapor pressure. This may restrict the lithium temperature in reactors.

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