Study of power load pattern on EAST divertor using PFCFlux code

•This paper demonstrates the modeling result of power load pattern on EAST graphite divertor by using the PFCFlux code.•The grazing angle varies both poloidally and toroidally, changing by half a degree over the distance of 50 mm away from the strike point.•The correlation between both grazing angle and flux expansion and the magnetic equilibrium parameters are found by using the linear regression method.•The modeling result indicates that the edges of graphite tiles of EAST divertor are perfectly shadowed.

The power load pattern on an EAST divertor component, spanning six tiles in the poloidal direction, has been studied with the PFCFlux code. A total of 49 different EAST plasma equilibria in lower single null configuration are used in the study. It is found that the incidence angle, or grazing angle, varies both toroidally and poloidally on the target, changing by approximately half a degree over a distance of 50 mm from the strike point. Strong correlations between the triangularity of the magnetic equilibrium and both the grazing angle and the flux expansion are found by using linear regression. A smaller value of triangularity gives wider plasma-wetted region on the target in lower-outer configuration, and a narrower plasma-wetted region in lower-inner configuration.