Nonlinear MHD simulations of edge-localized-modes in JET

Nonlinear magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) simulations with the JOREK code may be used to improve our understanding of edge-localized-modes (ELMs) (Huysmans and Czarny 2007 Nucl. Fusion 47 659-66, Huysmans et al 2009 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 51 124012, Pamela et al 2010 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 52 075006). These H-mode related instabilities may cause some damage to the tungsten divertor of ITER (Bazylev et al 2007 Phys. Scr. T128 229-33), and it was demonstrated experimentally that the ELM energy losses increase with both machine size and decreasing collisionality (ITER Physics Basis Editors and ITER EDA 1999 Nucl. Fusion 39 2175, Loarte et al 2003 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 45 1549-69). In sight of producing simulations of ELMs in ITER, in order to give some predictions of ELM size and divertor heat fluxes in the future device, simulations first need to be quantitatively validated against the experimental data of present machines. This paper presents simulations of ELMs in the JET tokamak for the low-collosionality type-I ELMy H-mode pulse #73569. The simulation results are compared with experimental data to provide a qualitative validation of the simulations. This comparison comprises the dynamics of filaments and divertor heat fluxes, the effect of resistivity and collisionality on ELM energy losses and the observation of ELM precursors prior to the pedestal collapse.