Heat load asymmetries in MAST

A systematic study of the heat load asymmetries has been performed in the MAST tokamak. The influence of the magnetic geometry (DND vs. SND) and of the confinement regime (L- and H-mode) has been studied. The in/out and up/down asymmetries are found to be very sensitive to the distance between both separatrices. While during DND discharges, most power is deposited at the lower divertor during L-mode and inter-ELM periods, more power is deposited on the upper divertor during ELMs. During lower SND discharges, more power is always deposited on the outboard target, even during ELMs. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.