Plasma turbulence simulations in a diverted tokamak with applied resonant magnetic perturbations

The first results of three-dimensional, flux-driven, electrostatic, global, two-fluid turbulence simulations of a diverted tokamak configuration with applied resonant magnetic perturbations generated by a set of saddle coils are presented. The simulations of an L-mode plasma show that the heat flux pattern on the divertor targets is affected by the resonant magnetic perturbations, as a result of the interplay between turbulent cross field transport and parallel flows. The simulation results reveal the potential of resonant magnetic perturbations to reduce the heat flux to the wall. In fact, the peak of the toroidally- and time-averaged heat flux as well as its value integrated over the divertor decrease as the amplitude of the magnetic perturbation increases, while the plasma sources are held constant.