Coupling of SOLPS-ITER with 3D BOUT++ for self-consistent transport at the plasma edge

A novel method of coupling SOLPS-ITER to a six-field two-fluid model using BOUT++ is reported in this work. Self-consistent simulations of transport and turbulence in edge plasmas is crucial for correct predictions of divertor particle and heat flux. This coupling attempts to bridge the multi-spatiotemporal, multi-physics challenge in plasma edge simulations. The model utilized in BOUT++ includes peeling-ballooning physics to simulate the effects of ELMy H-mode plasmas [1]. This 3D BOUT++ simulation was coupled to the fluid plasma and Monte-Carlo neutral 2D transport code SOLPS-ITER for self-consistent transport at the plasma edge. Radial fluxes in BOUT++ have been successfully used to inform poloidally and radially varying anomalous diffusion coefficients in SOLPS-ITER. A converged H-mode SOLPS-ITER simulation is used as an initial state for the coupling to explore the effects of the BOUT++ informed diffusion coefficients. This new capability will enable self-consistent transport at the plasma edge including effects arising from transients and the interplay between the pedestal structure, edge turbulence and divertor-plasma solutions.