Tungsten erosion in the baffle and outboard regions of the ITER-like ASDEX Upgrade divertor

Similar to the design of the next-step device ITER, ASDEX Upgrade is equipped with vertical divertor targets with adjacent baffles extending towards the main chamber. In ITER, it is intended to employ tungsten as a plasma-facing material in this baffle area. Tungsten-coated graphite tiles were installed in the divertor baffle and the outboard side regions of ASDEX Upgrade for a full experimental campaign. The erosion behavior of tungsten was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and by measuring the thickness of the tungsten coatings before and after exposure. The coatings had an initial thickness of approximately 450 nm. Two distinct erosion mechanisms were observed: in the outer baffle region a reduction of the coatings’ thickness up to 100 nm was determined after about 6300 s of plasma discharge. On the roof baffle and on the inner baffle modules, no clear reduction of the film thickness was found. In the tracks of arcs, however, the tungsten coatings were completely removed. This represents an erosion of 5–10% of the tungsten-coated surface area in this region.