Analysis of asymmetric Dα spectra emitted in front of a neutralizer plate of the Tore-Supra ergodic divertor

A spectroscopic analysis of the deuterium Dα line (λ = 6561.0 Å) emitted in the edge of Tore-Supra just in front of the equatorial neutralizer plate of the ergodic divertor is presented. This analysis, which relies on a line shape modelling, is focused on asymmetric Dα spectra which are obtained in some diverted discharges. It will be shown that three populations of neutrals are necessary to interpret such spectra. A cold atoms population results from the dissociation of molecules desorbed from the surface, and a warm one from charge-exchange reactions with the plasma ions. The last population of neutrals is produced by normal reflection of plasma ions on the neutralizer V-shaped notches \mbox(V-points) and has an anisotropic velocity distribution function. The anisotropy of this velocity distribution function is due to its initial form and to its partial relaxation by neutral-ion elastic collisions. The analysis based on a line shape fitting program including a relaxation model allows one to estimate the relative contributions of the neutral populations of recycled deuterium to the Dα emission and their Doppler temperatures. Finally, the dependence of the ion and neutral temperatures deduced from the fits and the dominant molecular dissociation channels are discussed as a function of the edge electron density and temperature.