Modelling transport in the SOL with Hermes-3

My research in Fusion CDT will focus on modelling transport in the plasma edge using Hermes-3. Fusion reactions operate at extremely high temperatures, and as high temperature plasmas move outward to the edge through transport, they impose significant heat loads and fluxes on plasma-facing components. This can degrade fusion device performance and reduce longevity and durability. The divertor is designed to handle and mitigate these heat loads, and impurity gases such as argon and nitrogen are injected near the divertor target to cool the plasma through plasma-neutral interactions, which significantly reduces the heat loads on the divertor target. However, how the pumped impurity gas moves through the plasma edge and the influence of kinetic effects require a deeper understanding. We aim to answer these by modelling and simulating the impurity behaviour in the plasma edge. This helps optimise the operation in existing tokamak, such as the MAST-U, and provides guidance for the STEP, making the fusion energy reliable and sustainable.