COLLOQUIUM: Handling Plasma Wall Interactions on ITER

Although the ITER machine design is essentially complete, with almost all major systems  into the procurement phase, there are many physics issues which remain open and require continued investigation during the machine construction years in preparation for both early operation and the high performance burning plasma phases.  Boundary physics and the general area of plasma-material interactions are no exception. This talk will discuss some of the current priority issues in this area, dividing broadly into the general question of power handling and transient management and the outstanding aspects of PMI, mostly linked to the decision in 2013 by the ITER Organization to begin operation with an all-tungsten armoured divertor.