Recent ASDEX Upgrade Results and Future Extension Plans

ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) is an ITER-shaped divertor tokamak with versatile heating, fueling, exhaust, and control systems. All plasma-facing components (PFCs) are coated with tungsten layers. Plasma scenarios have been adopted that avoid central tungsten accumulation, which can lead to an H-L transition due to excessive central radiative losses. Compared to a carbon-PFC tokamak, the AUG operational space is slightly more weighted toward higher densities and collisionalities. Actual and future planned extensions aim toward reducing the core collisionality while maintaining good power and particle exhaust. These extensions include a solid tungsten outer divertor target, improved pumping, higher ECRH power, and modified ICRF antennas that reduce tungsten sources. The newest element for advanced plasma control is the first set of eight magnetic perturbation coils, which already achieved type-I edge localized mode mitigation in multiple plasma scenarios. Another eight coils have been installed in autumn 2011, allowing the production of mode spectra with n >; 2. In parallel to the improved actuator set, an increasing number of diagnostics are brought into real-time state, allowing versatile profile and stability control.