Full-device turbulence simulations with core-edge coupling

Abstract We present the first turbulence simulation of its kind, modeling the entire ASDEX Upgrade tokamak, including the core, edge, scrape-off layer (SOL), and divertor regions. This is achieved by coupling three advanced codes: GENE for core turbulence, Tango for core transport, and GRILLIX for turbulence and transport in the edge and SOL. The simulation framework integrates kinetic electrons in the core and a fluid approach in the edge while incorporating collisions, electromagnetic effects, and realistic geometry. It features high-fidelity models for particle and heat sources, including neutral beam injection, Bremsstrahlung, line and synchrotron radiation, collisional energy exchange, and ohmic heating. In the SOL, the plasma is dynamically coupled to a neutral gas model. A dedicated interface layer facilitates the exchange of heat and particle sources from the core to the edge, while updated boundary values from the edge code are fed back into the core simulation. The resulting plasma profiles from each code are seamlessly integrated to generate unified temperature and density profiles for all species. These profiles show a fairly good agreement with experimental data across all measured channels for the analyzed ASDEX Upgrade discharge. This novel simulation tool enables high-fidelity, full-volume plasma calculations with minimal assumptions. Ongoing and future developments and validations will further strengthen its predictive capability, making it a powerful tool for studying and designing future fusion reactors such as ITER and SPARC.