Stationary and transient divertor heat flux profiles and extrapolation to ITER

Experimental results on divertor heat load measurements from ASDEX Upgrade and JET are discussed. Thereby three topics are considered: (i) parameter dependence of steady state heat flux profiles, (ii) spatial distribution of the heat flux profile during type I edge localised modes (ELMs), and (iii) temporal evolution of the energy deposition during type I ELMs. No clear scaling of steady state heat flux profiles with plasma parameters is found. For different data sets a broadening of the heat flux profiles, a constant profile width, as well as a steepening with heating power is found. Extrapolation to ITER requires a review of the data. The heat flux profile is not significantly broadened during type I ELMs. Advantageous is the change of the in/out symmetry. The temporal behaviour of the energy deposition shows a strong increase of the heat flux on time scales of the ion sound speed and an exponential decay with about twice the rise time. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.