Plasma Material Interaction and Components 

The division P2W deals with investigations of plasma-wall interaction in fusion devices and in dedicated laboratory experiments as well as with the development and characterization of high-heat-flux materials and components.

Investigations regarding plasma-wall interaction and the development and characterisation of materials with improved properties with respect to erosion behaviour, hydrogen isotope uptake, heat removal and thermal stability are carried out in four groups.

In particular, the fusion experiments of IPP are supported and investigations concerning first-wall materials in ITER and future fusion power plants are conducted. For this purpose, fundamental surface processes on materials are investigated, directly in ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) and Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) as well as in laboratory experiments. Such experiments are accompanied by modelling work. Material and component tests are carried out at the GLADIS High Heat Flux test facility. In particular, tungsten tiles for AUG and actively cooled divertor elements for W7-X as well as mock-ups and prototypes for ITER and DEMO are investigated. A large part of this work is well integrated into the European EUROfusion programme. The division also supports this programme organisationally by providing project and task leaders.

The research areas are in detail:

• research into surface processes on plasma-exposed materials
• investigation of the migration of materials in fusion experiments
• investigation and control of the tritium inventory (hydrogen retention and permeation, redeposition processes and barrier layers)
• modelling and extrapolation of results to ITER and DEMO
• development and characterisation of materials and components for the first wall and the divertor