Snowflake divertor experiments on TCV

An ELMy H-mode 'snowflake' (SF) divertor is established and studied for the first time in the TCV tokamak. The H-mode access and the edge localized mode (ELM) dynamics are compared with a conventional single-null diverted configuration. The SF configuration exhibits 15% higher confinement and 2-3 times lower ELM frequency. Ideal MHD stability analysis suggests enhanced stability of the SF H-mode pedestal to mid- to high-toroidal-mode-number modes. The capability of the SF to redistribute the edge power on the additional strike points has been confirmed experimentally.