Thermal pattern measurements during disruptions on TEXTOR-94

The thermal pattern onto the TEXTOR-94 toroidal limiter at the thermal quen ch for a set of four disruptions has been measured. A high temporal and spa tial resolution camera, based on an infra-red 128 x 128 pixels focal plane array detector has been used to perform the measurements. Comparing the pow er profile for the same discharge as inferred from two images taken just be fore the disruption and at the thermal quench, it is possible to assess tha t: the radial exponential decay of the power flowing onto the limiter shows in both cases two different e-folding lengths, a short one (of the order o f 2 mm or even less, in disruptive discharges) in the first few mm of the S OL depth and a larger one (1.5 cm) deeper in the SOL, An energy balance has been performed based on thermal images of both the limiter and the nearby wall during the thermal quench. The total energy lost is comparable to the plasma energy content. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.