Deuterium to helium plasma-wall change-over experiments in the JET MkII-gas box divertor

The deuterium and helium dynamics in the plasma and subdivertor regions of JET are compared during a sequence of similar ohmic and ICRH pulses where 100% He gas is injected into the JET vacuum vessel, whose graphite walls were previously saturated with deuterium. After the first six He fueled change-over discharges, only He plasma operation was performed. Following this investigation, the situation is reversed and the change-over from an initially saturated He wall is investigated when only D-2 plasma fuelling is used. The He concentration is measured in the subdivertor with a species selective Penning gauge. Comparison of the time dependence of the divertor concentrations with those at the edge and strike point shows significant differences during the first six discharges. This difference along with a global He particle balance is used to assess the status of the wall saturation over the initial 6-7 He change-over discharges. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.