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Distributions of deposits and hydrogen (H) on the graphite divertor target elements TM4h4 and TM3v5 in the test divertor units 3 (TDUs3) of Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) are studied. The TM4h4 and TM3v5 are located at the magnetically symmetric positions in the upper and lower divertor. The microstructure of the deposition layer is characterized by a transmission electron microscope (TEM) combined with a focused ion beam (FIB). Metallic deposits such as iron (Fe), molybdenum (Mo), chromium (Cr) are detected in the deposition layer by energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The depth-resolved distribution patterns of boron (B) and metallic deposits on upper and lower horizontal (h) divertor target elements TDUs3-TM4h4 as well as upper and lower vertical (v) divertor target elements TDUs3-TM3v5 are clarified by glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GDOES). Results for both TDUs3-TM4h4 and TDUs3-TM3v5 show that the B deposition regions exhibit higher H retention due to the co-deposition with deposits. On the other hand, up-down asymmetries in B deposition caused by particle drift exist on both TDUs3-TM4h4 and TDUs3-TM3v5. The B deposition amount on upper TDUs3-TM4h4 is 40% smaller than that on lower TDUs3-TM4h4. While for the vertical target elements, the B deposition amount on upper TDUs3-TM3v5 is 35% larger than that on lower TDUs3-TM3v5. Meanwhile, a shift of around 3 cm in B deposition peaks is observed on upper and lower TDUs3-TM4h4 and TDUs3-TM3v5. Results of numerical simulation of carbon deposition/erosion profiles on the target elements using ERO2.0 code and power flux measured by infrared cameras are shown and compared with the above mentioned B profiles.

A set of dedicated marker samples consisting of fine-grain graphite as substrate, an interlayer of 0.2–0.4 μm molybdenum (Mo) employed as marker, and a 5–10 μm thick carbon (C) marker layer on top were installed in Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) to investigate locally the C erosion and deposition. In this study, a set of five individual marker tiles, installed in a vertical divertor element of the test divertor unit in half-module 50, and exposed to about 40 min of plasma predominant in the standard magnetic divertor configuration in the first year of divertor operation in W7-X (OP1.2A), were retrieved from the vessel for post-mortem analysis. Picosecond laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (ps-LIBS) was applied on these marker tiles in order to determine the local erosion/deposition pattern caused by plasma impact. The general erosion/deposition pattern on the vertical target element was studied with the aid of depth-profiling by Mo line emission due to ps-LIBS with the number of applied laser pulses (355 nm, 2.3 J cm−2, 35 ps) at one probing location. Several potential asymmetry factors which avoid a perfect layer-by-layer ablation process in the laser ablations are proposed and discussed when a rough layered structure sample with a rough surface is analysed by the ps-LIBS technique. Thereby, a simulation model was developed to correct the measurement error of the ps-LIBS method caused by the non-perfect rectangle profile of the applied laser beam. The depth resolution of the applied ps-LIBS system was determined by quantification of the laser ablation rates of the different layers and the C substrate which were measured utilising profilometry and cross comparison with the thicknesses of the C and Mo marker layers determined by a combined focused ion beam and scanning electron microscopy technique. For the first time, the erosion/deposition pattern on the vertical target was mapped and quantified by ps-LIBS technique. A relatively wide net erosion zone with a poloidal extend of about 200 mm was identified which can be correlated to the main particle interaction zone at the magnetic strike-line of the dominantly applied standard magnetic divertor configuration. At the position of peak erosion, not only 7.6 × 1019 C atoms/cm2 but also 2 × 1018 Mo atoms/cm2 which results can be extrapolated to total 15 × 1019 C atoms/cm2, were eroded due to plasma fuel particle (H, He) and impurity (O, C) ion impact.