A Performance Upgrade for DIII-D to Resolve the Integrated Tokamak Exhaust and Performance Gap for a Fusion Pilot Plant

The critical challenge to develop a viable concept for a compact fusion 'pilot' plant is to resolve a highly dissipative divertor and its compatibility with a high-performance core. An upgrade to DIII-D is proposed to close gaps on reactor physics regimes in divertor, SOL, pedestal and core in order to test critical physics, pioneer solutions and resolve their integrated compatibility. The key is to raise pressure in order to sustain high density dissipative regimes with hot, low collisionality core plasmas. This is achieved through power upgrades combined with increased plasma shaping, volume and current. Key flexibilities are introduced in core and divertor configurations, and in plasma interacting technologies, in order to resolve innovative solutions from the wall to the core, and how to integrate them together.