Lateral deflection of the SOL plasma during a giant ELM

In recent H-mode experiments at JET with giant ELMs a lateral deflection of hot tokamak plasma striking the divertor plate has been observed. This def lection can effect the divertor erosion caused by the hot plasma irradiatio n. Based on the MHD model for the vapor shield plasma and the hot plasma, t he Seebeck effect is analyzed for explanation of the deflection. At t = -in finity both plasmas are at rest and separated by a boundary parallel to the target. The interaction between plasmas develops gradually ('adiabatically ') as exp(t/t(0)) with t(0) similar to 10(2) mus the ELM duration time, At inclined impact of the magnetized hot plasma a toroidal current develops in the interaction zone of the plasmas. The J x B force accelerates the inter acting plasmas in the lateral direction, The cold plasma motion essentially compensates the current. The magnitude of the hot plasma deflection is com parable to the observed one, (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights rese rved.