B. H. Deng

Two-color CO2/HeNe laser interferometer for C-2 experiment.

A six-channel two-color interferometer has been developed for plasma electron density measurements in the C-2 field reversed configuration experiment. A CO(2) laser is utilized as the main probe beams, while copropagating visible HeNe laser beams are mainly sensitive to vibration. Density measurements in C-2 plasmas have shown that this is a reliable turn-key system. The maximum residual phase noise after vibration compensation is less than ±5°, corresponding to a line integral density of 3×10(18)u2002m(-2). The time resolution for routine operation is 2u2002μs.

Electron density and temperature profile diagnostics for C-2 field reversed configuration plasmasa)

The 9-point Thomson scattering diagnostic system for the C-2 field reversed configuration plasmas is improved and the measured electron temperature profiles are consistent with theoretical expectations. Rayleigh scattering revealed a finite line width of the ruby laser emission, which complicates density calibration. Taking advantage of the plasma wobble motion, density profile reconstruction accuracy from the 6-chord two-color CO(2)∕HeNe interferometer data is improved.

Far infrared laser polarimetry and far forward scattering diagnostics for the C-2 field reversed configuration plasmasa)

A two-chord far infrared (FIR) laser polarimeter for high speed sub-degree Faraday rotation measurements in the C-2 field reversed configuration experiment is described. It is based on high power proprietary FIR lasers with line width of about 330 Hz. The exceptionally low intrinsic instrument phase error is characterized with figures of merit. Significant toroidal magnetic field with rich dynamics is observed. Simultaneously obtained density fluctuation spectra by far forward scattering are presented.

Two-chord interferometry using 3.39 μm He-Ne laser on a flux-coil-generated FRC

A two-chord λ(IR)∼3.39u2002μm He-Ne laser interferometer system was developed for a flux-coil-generated field-reversed configuration to estimate the electron density and the total temperature of the field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasma. This two-chord heterodyne interferometer system consists of a single ∼2u2002mW infrared He-Ne laser, a visible (λ(vis)∼632.8u2002nm) He-Ne laser for the alignment, a 40 MHz acousto-optic modulator, photodetectors, and quadrature phase detectors. Initial measurement was performed and the measured average electron densities were 2-10×10(19)u2002m(-3) at two different radial positions in the midplane. A time shift in density was observed as the FRC expands radially. The time evolution of the line-averaged density agrees with the density estimated from the in situ internal magnetic probes, based on a rigid-rotor profile model.

Multi-channel Doppler backscattering measurements in the C-2 field reversed configuration.

A versatile heterodyne Doppler Backscattering (DBS) system is used to measure density fluctuation levels (in the wavenumber range kρs ≤ 50), and the toroidal E × B flow velocity in the C-2 Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC). Six tunable frequencies in three waveguide bands (26 GHz ≤ f ≤ 90 GHz) are launched using monostatic beam optics, via a quasi-optical beam combiner/polarizer and an adjustable parabolic focusing mirror (inside the vacuum enclosure) achieving Gaussian beam spot sizes of 3-5.5 cm at the X/O-mode cutoff. The DBS system covers plasma densities of 0.8 × 10(13) ≤ ne ≤ 1 × 10(14) cm(-3), and provides access to the FRC core (up to the field null) and across the FRC separatrix into the scrape-off layer plasma.

Development of a nine spatial point, multipulse Thomson scattering diagnostic

A Thomson scattering diagnostic has been developed for the C-2 field-reversed configuration device. Based on a multipulse ruby laser, the system measures the electron temperature at nine spatial points. These points are chosen from 22 selectable positions covering r≈1-41u2002cm. Twin collection lenses couple the scattered photons to nine optical fiber pairs. Extra fiber lengths delay the signals from different spatial points relative to each other, allowing up to three points to be analyzed by a single polychromator. The polychromator, using compact photomultipliers as detectors, has six spectral channels covering the range of 685-725 nm and is able to estimate electron temperatures of ≈10-200u2002eV. The photomultiplier output signals are recorded by digital storage oscilloscopes integrated with the main MDSplus database, with temperature and error estimates generated automatically at the conclusion of each plasma discharge.

Improved density profile measurements in the C-2U advanced beam-driven Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC) plasmas

In the prior C-2 experiment, electron density was measured using a two-color 6-chord CO2/HeNe interferometer. Analysis shows that high-frequency common mode phase noise can be reduced by a factor of 3 by constructing a reference chord. In the system upgrade from C-2 to C-2U a 4-chord far-infrared laser interferometer was developed, which demonstrated superior sensitivity (1 × 1016 m-2 at >1 MHz bandwidth) and solved the under spatial sampling issue of the C-2 interferometer system. Improved density-profile measurement results are presented in this paper, including evidence of fast-ion modified density profile and stabilization of the n = 1 plasma wobble mode.

High sensitivity far infrared laser diagnostics for the C-2U advanced beam-driven field-reversed configuration plasmas

A high sensitivity multi-channel far infrared laser diagnostics with switchable interferometry and polarimetry operation modes for the advanced neutral beam-driven C-2U field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasmas is described. The interferometer achieved superior resolution of 1 × 1016 m-2 at >1.5 MHz bandwidth, illustrated by measurement of small amplitude high frequency fluctuations. The polarimetry achieved 0.04° instrument resolution and 0.1° actual resolution in the challenging high density gradient environment with >0.5 MHz bandwidth, making it suitable for weak internal magnetic field measurements in the C-2U plasmas, where the maximum Faraday rotation angle is less than 1°. The polarimetry resolution data is analyzed, and high resolution Faraday rotation data in C-2U is presented together with direct evidences of field reversal in FRC magnetic structure obtained for the first time by a non-perturbative method.

Doppler spectroscopy and D-alpha emission diagnostics for the C-2 FRC plasma

Two Doppler spectroscopy diagnostics with complementary capabilities are developed to measure the ion temperatures and velocities of FRC plasmas in the C-2 device. First, the multichord ion doppler diagnostic can simultaneously measure 15 chords of the plasma using an image intensified camera. Second, a single-chord fast-response ion Doppler diagnostic provides much higher faster time response by using a 16-channel photo-multiplier tube array. To study the neutral density of deuterium under different wall and plasma conditions, a highly sensitive eight-channel D-alpha diagnostic has been developed and calibrated for absolute radiance measurements. These spectroscopic diagnostics capabilities, combined with other plasma diagnostics, are helping to understand and improve the field reversed configuration plasmas in the C-2 device.

The upgrade of the Thomson scattering system for measurement on the C-2/C-2U devices

The C-2/C-2U Thomson scattering system has been substantially upgraded during the latter phase of C-2/C-2U program. A Rayleigh channel has been added to each of the three polychromators of the C-2/C-2U Thomson scattering system. Onsite spectral calibration has been applied to avoid the issue of different channel responses at different spots on the photomultiplier tube surface. With the added Rayleigh channel, the absolute intensity response of the system is calibrated with Rayleigh scattering in argon gas from 0.1 to 4 Torr, where the Rayleigh scattering signal is comparable to the Thomson scattering signal at electron densities from 1 × 1013 to 4 × 1014 cm-3. A new signal processing algorithm, using a maximum likelihood method and including detailed analysis of different noise contributions within the system, has been developed to obtain electron temperature and density profiles. The system setup, spectral and intensity calibration procedure and its outcome, data analysis, and the results of electron temperature/density profile measurements will be presented.