Nonlinear MHD modelling of neon doped shattered pellet injection with JOREK and its comparison to experiments in KSTAR

Abstract 3D nonlinear MHD simulations of neon-doped single shattered pellet injection (SPI) conducted with the JOREK code reveal rich physics during SPI-induced disruptions in KSTAR. In the early phase, pressure-driven modes dominate, and the perturbation of the plasma current is largely consistent with the perturbation of the Pfirsch–Schlüter current. As shards reach the q = 1 surface, resistive current perturbations by helical electron cooling start to dominate, and the electron temperature in the core begins to collapse with convective mixing of the density driven by the internal 1 / 1 kink mode. The confinement of the plasma is later completely destroyed as a cold bubble convects into the core via quasi-interchange mode. Comparisons with available experimental data demonstrate qualitative agreements between JOREK results and experiments, and possible reasons for deviations are discussed.