Core transport of lithium and carbon in ELM-free discharges with lithium wall conditioning in NSTX

Core transport of intrinsic carbon and lithium impurities is analysed in H-mode discharges in NSTX. The application of lithium coatings on graphite plasma-facing components led to high-performance H-mode discharges with edge localized mode (ELM) suppression and resulted in core carbon accumulation. Lithium ions did not accumulate and had densities less than 1% of carbon densities. Core transport codes NCLASS, NEO and MIST are used to assess the impact of lithium evaporative coatings on impurity transport. The disappearance of ELMs, due to changes in the electron pressure profiles, together with modifications in neoclassical transport, due to changes in main ion temperature and density profiles, explains the core carbon accumulation in discharges with lithium coatings. Residual anomalous transport in the pedestal region is needed to explain the experimental carbon density profile shape and evolution. The enhancement in neoclassical lithium particle diffusivities due to the high carbon concentration is partially responsible for the low lithium core concentration.