Development of a Two-Dimensional Finite Element Plasma Edge Model

The fluid equations modeling plasma transport in the tokamak scrape-off region are discretized via optimal upwind finite element methods developed for convection-dominated problems. These methods allow the non-orthogonal geometry of the edge region to be represented accurately, while applying the necessary boundary conditions. Newton's method with mesh sequencing is used to arrive at a converged solution to the resulting nonlinear algebraic system of equations. Preliminary results are presented for a 20x20 finite element discretization of the ASDEX edge region, with some simplifications. General agreement between the finite element solution and the Braams code B2 is observed. The code will be extended to allow equilibrium-based meshes and arbitrary boundary geometries.