Comparison of 2D simulations of detached divertor plasmas with divertor Thomson measurements in the DIII-D tokamak

•Two-dimensional plasma/neutral transport simulations of the scrape-off-layer/divertor plasma are compared with Divertor Thomson scattering measurements for DIII-D H-mode discharges. Experimental inner/outer divertor plasma and radiation profile asymmetries resulting from changing the direction of the toroidal magnetic field are qualitatively reproduced by the simulations. Steady-state detached plasma solutions are found when increasing the midplane separatrix density beyond a critical value, and that density is within 35% of the experimental measured separatrix density for detachment. The critical density depends on the impurity radiation and pumping models.