Overview of Plasma Edge Physics

Basic properties of the plasma edge in magnetically confined fusion plasmas are summarised. Starting from the magnetic topology of tokamaks we describe the transport of the scrape-off layer including drifts and the consequences of the electrostatic Debye sheath in front of the plasma facing components. The relation between the local plasma density and temperature at the targets and the fluxes of power and particles in the SOL is discussed. The transport of the fuel neutrals (hydrogen atoms and molecules) is described.