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Describes the installation of arrays of 12 flush-mounted Langmuir plasma probes in the upper and lower outboard divertor plates of Tokamak de Varennes (TdeV). Measurement of electron temperature and density; Validation of the technique by comparing measurements from a cylindrical and a flush probe which are operated simultaneously in the same plasma.

Understanding heat flux deposition processes is essential for the design of the plasma facing component allowing reliable high power steady state plasma operations. Misalignments up to δ = 0.2 mm between two adjacent CFC tiles have been reported on the Toroidal Pump Limiter of Tore Supra. Heat flux impinging the top and leading edge of the protruding tile are characterized with both IR thermographic system and numerical modelling using 2D particle-in-cell simulations that accounts for the Larmor radius smoothing effect of incident ions. Numerical heat loads are coupled with a 2D thermal model of the tile and with a specific sensor correction to simulate spatial-resolution related effects (necessary here since the tile misalignment is smaller than the spatial resolution of the IR system). In the experiment depicted here, with a misalignment smaller than an ion gyro-radius, the Larmor radius smoothing effect is maximum and overheating of the leading edge is reduced by a factor of two. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report results of a dedicated experiment that gives the plasma penetration profiles inside a gap of a tokamak castellated plasma-facing component. A specially designed probe that recreates a gap between two tiles has been built for the purpose of this study. It allows to measure ion saturation profiles along the 2 sides and at the bottom of the gap for both poloidal and toroidal orientations. The novelty of such experiment is the real time measurement of the plasma flux inside the gap during a tokamak D-shaped discharge compared to previous experimental studies which were mainly post-mortem. This experiment was performed in the COMPASS tokamak and results are compared with particle-in-cell simulations. The plasma deposition is found to be asymmetric in both orientations with a stronger effect in poloidal gaps. The Larmor radius of the incoming ions plays a role in the plasma penetration only in poloidal gaps but seems to have little impact in toroidal gaps. Profiles are qualitatively well reproduced by simulations. Ion current is recorded at the bottom of a toroidal gap under certain conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The W -for tungsten- environment in steady-state tokamak (WEST) project consists in transforming the French tokamak Tore Supra into an X-point divertor one and aims at testing the ITER technology of actively cooled high heat flux tungsten components during ITER-relevant long pulses. In addition to the integration in the vacuum vessel of a lower divertor and an upper one, this metamorphosis has a strong impact on diagnostics initially present in Tore Supra. Indeed, the introduction of a divertor in the upper part of the machine leads to block the lines of sight (LOS) of diagnostics previously installed in the upper ports. Therefore, new diagnostics playing a paramount role for the safe tokamak operation need to be implemented, such as an infrared (IR) thermography diagnostic for the protection of plasma-facing components (PFCs) and heating antennas, and a visible spectroscopy system for the protection of tungsten PFCs. Besides, several existing diagnostics need to be modified to adapt their LOS to the new divertor targets and plasma shape. This paper presents the main issues linked to the integration of diagnostics deriving from the WEST project. First, the changes involved by the upgrade on the set of diagnostics currently implemented in Tore Supra are described. Then, a particular focus is put on the integration of the two new optical systems, namely the IR system and the visible spectroscopy one. These two systems being located within the vacuum vessel, a special care must be paid to their design, to allow them to withstand their harsh environmental conditions. Other new or updated fundamental diagnostics are also briefly presented. Finally, the resulting new implementation of diagnostics envisaged to reach the scientific and technological goals of the WEST project is described. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Gundestrup is a Langmuir/Mach probe array which measures the flow velocity in the scrape-off layer of Tokamak de Varennes (TdeV). It is based on the concept of a Mach probe where presheaths extending upstream and downstream from the probe, parallel to the magnetic field, attract charge to a circular array of collecting pins. The polar distribution of ion saturation currents to the circular array is used to compute the components of flow velocity in the plasma. With Gundestrup, there is an assumed flow perpendicular to the magnetic field as well as parallel to it. Equations representing the collection of charge by individual pins on the probe are presented and sample flow patterns from the scrape-off layer are shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]