Recent DIII-D [J. L. Luxon et al., Nucl. Fusion 43, 1813 (2003)] experiments show a correlation between the extent of overlap of magnetic islands induced in the edge plasma by perturbation coils and complete suppression of Type-I edge localized modes (ELMs) in plasmas with ITER-like electron pedestal collisionality ${\nu }_e^{*}\sim 0.1$ , flux surface shape and low edge safety factor $(q_{95}\approx 3.6)$ . With fixed amplitude $n=3$ resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP), ELM suppression is obtained only in a finite window in the edge safety factor $\left(q_{95}\right)$ consistent with maximizing the resonant component of the applied helical field. ELM suppression is obtained over an increasing range of $q_{95}$ by either increasing the $n=3$ RMP strength, or by adding $n=1$ perturbations to “fill in” gaps between islands across the edge plasma. The suppression of Type-I ELMs correlates with a minimum width of the edge region having magnetic islands with Chirikov parameter $>1.0$ , based on vacuum calculations of RMP mode components excluding the plasma response or rotational shielding. The fraction of vacuum magnetic field lines that are lost from the plasma, with connection length to the divertor targets comparable to an electron-ion collisional mean free path, increases throughout the island overlap region in the ELM suppressed case compared with the ELMing case.

In this paper the manipulation of power deposition on divertor targets at DIII-D by the application of resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) for suppression of large type-I edge localized modes (ELMs) is analysed. We discuss the modification of the ELM characteristics by the RMP applied. It is shown that the width of the deposition pattern in ELMy H-mode depends linearly on the ELM deposited energy, whereas in the RMP phase of the discharge those patterns are controlled by the externally induced magnetic perturbation. It was also found that the manipulation of heat transport due to the application of small, edge RMP depends on the plasma pedestal electron collisionality . We compare in this analysis RMP and no RMP phases with and without complete ELM suppression. At high , the heat flux during the ELM suppressed phase is of the same order as the inter-ELM and the no-RMP phase. However, below this collisionality value, a slight increase in the total power flux to the divertor is observed during the RMP phase. This is most likely caused by a more negative potential at the divertor surface due to hot electrons reaching the divertor surface from the pedestal area along perturbed, open field lines.

The generation of runaway electrons in the international fusion experiment ITER disruptions can lead to severe damage at plasma facing components. Massive gas injection might inhibit the generation process, but the amount of gas needed can affect, e.g., vacuum systems. Alternatively, magnetic perturbations can suppress runaway generation by increasing the loss rate. In TEXTOR disruptions runaway losses were enhanced by the application of resonant magnetic perturbations with toroidal mode number $n=1$ and $n=2$. The disruptions are initiated by fast injection of about $3\times {10}^{21}$ argon atoms, which leads to a reliable generation of runaway electrons. At sufficiently high perturbation levels a reduction of the runaway current, a shortening of the current plateau, and the suppression of high energetic runaways are observed. These findings indicate the suppression of the runaway avalanche during disruptions.