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The characterization of a broadband fluctuation that is typical for the type-II ELM regime at ASDEX Upgrade has been improved using the 2D capabilities of ECE-imaging. During the transition from the type-I to type-II ELMy phase, it has been found that electron temperature fluctuations form a broadband peak in the 19–65 kHz range. In the type-II phase, this broadband fluctuation reaches a maximum relative amplitude of almost 20% just inside the top of the pedestal. Simultaneously, the electron temperature profile is completely flattened at this location. The 2D distribution of the amplitude of this broadband fluctuation is such that, when averaged over time, a minimum occurs around the mid-plane. From the measurements of the nearby magnetic pickup coils, a similar broadband fluctuation seems visible in the same frequency range. However, this is peaked at a slightly lower frequency and does not show a similar minimum. From the analysis of the fluctuations on small timescales, the poloidal and toroidal mode numbers are estimated to be m ∼ 100 and n ∼ 21. Furthermore, activity reminiscent of beat waves has been observed, which might partially account for the fluctuation's broadband nature and the seeming velocity variation of single fluctuation passages. Overall, similarities between the characteristics of this broadband fluctuation and various precursors to type-I ELMs suggest that this fluctuation can play an important role in regulating the ELM cycle.

We discuss the recent history and latest developments of the electron cyclotron emission imaging diagnostic technique, wherein electron temperature is measured in magnetically confined plasmas with two-dimensional spatial resolution. The key enabling technologies for this technique are the large-aperture optical systems and the linear detector arrays sensitive to millimeter-wavelength radiation. We present the status and recent progress on existing instruments as well as new systems under development for future experiments. We also discuss data analysis techniques relevant to plasma imaging diagnostics and present recent temperature fluctuation results from the tokamak experiment for technology oriented research (TEXTOR). (C) 2010 Optical Society of America

Microwave to millimeter-wave diagnostic techniques such as interferometry, reflectometry, scattering and radiometry have been powerful tools for diagnosing magnetically confined plasmas. Recent advances in electronic devices and components together with computer technology have enabled the development of advanced diagnostics in microwave to millimeter-wave region. The two-dimensional and three-dimensional profiles of plasma density/temperature and dynamic behaviors of their fluctuations are measured by using the advanced diagnostic systems. The measurements have clarified the physics issues such as stability, wave phenomena and fluctuation-induced transport. We report here on the representative microwave diagnostics and their contribution to plasma confinement physics.

Laser-aided diagnostics are widely applied in the field of high-temperature plasma diagnostics for a large variety of measurements. Incoherent Thomson scattering is used for highly localized measur...

Three techniques for particle diagnostics of magnetically confined fusion plasmas are reviewed: charge exchange neutral particle analysis, Rutherford scattering, and heavy ion beam probes. The physical basis and instrumentation for each technique are described. Typical examples obtained by these diagnostics are presented. Charge exchange analysis is used for ion temperature measurements in small- and medium-sized plasma devices and for the study of the ion energy distribution function, especially in the suprathermal energy range. It also provides an ion isotope composition determination that is a high-priority task for ITER. Rutherford scattering enables local measurements of the ion temperature as well as measurements of the ion collective velocity. The heavy ion beam probe diagnostic gives a unique opportunity to measure locally the electric plasma potential and, by that, the electric field profile in a plasma and its influence on confinement. Other significant options of this diagnostic are the...

A design is presented for the electron cyclotron (EC) heating and current drive system of the ITER upper port launchers based on the remote steering (RS) concept. In this concept the millimeter-wave beam is steered by a mirror that is located at the back end of the launcher waveguide. The RS concept has the advantage that the mirror steering mechanism can be situated in the secondary vacuum of the ITER machine where neutron flux and beryllium and tritium contamination is reduced. This allows simpler maintenance relative to a system with a plasma-facing steering mechanism. The optimization is carried out on the quasi-optical elements of the system, including the mirror shapes and positions. The design is assessed for its effectiveness in stabilizing the neoclassical tearing mode (NTM) over a wide range of ITER reference scenarios. The stabilization performance is quantified in terms of the parameter eta(ntm), expressing the ratio between the peak EC wave-driven current density and the bootstrap current density, which parameter should exceed 1.2. The performance is also evaluated in terms of beam-focusing properties and power loading on the mirrors, and an empirical relation between beam size and eta(ntm) has been established. The performance achieved meets the requirements for NTM stabilization in all but one of the ITER reference scenarios.

Extensive preparations are now underway for an experiment in the Joint European Torus (JET) using tritium and deuterium–tritium mixtures. The goals of this experiment are described as well as the progress that has been made in developing plasma operational scenarios and physics reference pulses for use in deuterium–tritium and full tritium plasmas. At present, the high performance plasmas to be tested with tritium are based on either a conventional ELMy H-mode at high plasma current and magnetic field (operation at up to 4 MA and 4 T is being prepared) or the so-called improved H-mode or hybrid regime of operation in which high normalised plasma pressure at somewhat reduced plasma current results in enhanced energy confinement. Both of these regimes are being re-developed in conjunction with JET's ITER-like Wall (ILW) of beryllium and tungsten. The influence of the ILW on plasma operation and performance has been substantial. Considerable progress has been made on optimising performance with the all-metal wall. Indeed, operation at the (normalised) ITER reference confinement and pressure has been re-established in JET albeit not yet at high current. In parallel with the physics development, extensive technical preparations are being made to operate JET with tritium. The state and scope of these preparations is reviewed, including the work being done on the safety case for DT operation and on upgrading machine infrastructure and diagnostics. A specific example of the latter is the planned calibration at 14 MeV of JET neutron diagnostics.

Metal mirrors will be implemented in about half of the ITER diagnostics. Mirrors in ITER will have to withstand radiation loads, erosion by charge-exchange neutrals, deposition of impurities, particle implantation and neutron irradiation. It is believed that the optical properties of diagnostic mirrors will be primarily influenced by erosion and deposition. A solution is needed for optimal performance of mirrors in ITER throughout the entire lifetime of the machine. A multi-machine research on diagnostic mirrors is currently underway in fusion facilities at several institutions and laboratories worldwide. Among others, dedicated investigations of ITER-candidate mirror materials are ongoing in Tore-Supra, TEXTOR, DIII-D, TCV, T-10 and JET. Laboratory studies are underway at IPP Kharkov (Ukraine), Kurchatov Institute (Russia) and the University of Basel (Switzerland). An overview of current research on diagnostic mirrors along with an outlook on future investigations is the subject of this paper.

This paper will focus on two types of laser-aided diagnostics: Thomson scattering and laser-induced fluorescence. Thomson scattering is a very powerful diagnostic, which is applied at nearly every magnetic confinement device. Depending on the experimental conditions different plasma parameters can be diagnosed. When the wavelength is much smaller than the plasma Debye length, the total scattered power is obtained by an incoherent summation over the scattered powers of the individual electrons. The scattering spectrum in this case is a reflection of the electron velocity distribution, from which local values for the electron temperature and density can be derived. In case the wavelength is larger than the Debye length, Thomson scattering can yield information on the ion velocity distribution and/or collective behavior of the electrons, as is the case with density fluctuations. Laser-induced fluorescence is particularly suited for studies of the ion population at the cooler, not-fully ionized, plasma edge.

Reference CRPP-ARTICLE-2006-063View record in Web of Science Record created on 2008-04-16, modified on 2017-05-12

To shed some light on the development of the fast m/n = 1/1 precursor to the sawtooth crash and its influence on plasma transport properties in the vicinity of the q = 1 surface, series of dedicated experiments have been conducted on the Tore Supra and TEXTOR tokamaks. It has been concluded that, before a crash, the hot core gets displaced with respect to the magnetic axis, drifts outwards by as much as 8–10 cm and may change its shape. Observation of the magnetic reconnection process has been made by means of electron cyclotron emission diagnostics. The heat pulse is seen far outside the inversion radius. The colder plasma develops a magnetic island on the former magnetic axis, after the hot core expulsion. Different kinds of behaviour of the m = 1 precursor before the crash, with respect to the displacement of the hot core and the duration of the oscillating phase, have been observed. An ideal kink model alone cannot be used for explanation; therefore, resistive effects play an important role in the mode development. Possible mechanisms that lead an m = 1 mode to such behaviour, and their links to the change in the central q-profile, are discussed. Results have been discussed in the light of various theoretical models of the sawtooth.

It has been observed in the T-10 tokamak that immediately after off-axis electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) switch-off, the core electron temperature stays constant for some time, which can be as long as several tens of milliseconds, i.e. several energy confinement times (tau(E)), before it starts to decrease. Whether or not the effect is observed depends critically on the local magnetic shear in the vicinity of the q = 1 rational surface, which should be close to zero. It is hypothesized that a small shear can induce the formation of an internal transport barrier. Measurements of density fluctuations in the transport barrier with a correlation reflectometer show immediately after the ECRH switch-off a clear reduction in the fluctuation level, corroborating the above results. The delayed temperature decrease has also been observed in similar discharges in the TEXTOR tokamak; however, the delay is restricted to similar to1 x tau(E).

Fusion product measurements planned for ITER are reviewed from the viewpoint of alpha particle-related physics studies. Recent advances in fusion plasma physics have extended the desirable measurement requirements to the megahertz region for neutron emission rate, better resolution of neutron profiles for the study of internal transport barriers (ITBs), etc. Employing threshold counters and/or scintillation detectors confers megahertz capability on neutron emission rate measurement. The changes in the neutron/alpha particle birth profile due to the formation of ITB and its deviation from uniformity on the magnetic flux surface can be measured by addition of eight viewing chords in an equatorial port plug and seven viewing chords from the divertor to the original radial neutron camera. On the other hand, it is still difficult to measure the distributions of confined and escaping alpha particles. Several proposals to resolve these difficulties are currently under investigation.

The 110 GHz and the new 140 GHz gyrotron systems for electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) and ECCD on TEXTOR are described and results of ECRH experiments with the 110 GHz system are reported. Central ECRH on Ohmic plasmas shows the presence of an internal electron transport barrier near q = 1. This is confirmed by modulated ECRH experiments. A central barrier is also indicated by ECRH in radiatively improved (RI) mode discharges and up to two barriers are seen with ECRH during the current ramp phase. ECRH control of sawteeth is reported for both Ohmic and RI mode target plasmas.

Significant advances in microwave and millimeter wave technology over the past decade have enabled the development of a new generation of imaging diagnostics for current and envisioned magnetic fusion devices. Prominent among these are microwave electron cyclotron emission imaging, microwave phase imaging interferometers, imaging microwave scattering, and microwave imaging reflectometer systems for imaging Te and ne fluctuations (both turbulent and coherent) and profiles (including transport barriers) on toroidal devices such as tokamaks, spherical tori, and stellarators. The diagnostic technology is reviewed, and typical diagnostic systems are analyzed. Representative experimental results obtained with these novel diagnostic systems are also presented.

Understanding the behavior of fluctuations in magnetically confined plasmas is essential to the advancement of turbulence-based transport physics. Though microwave reflectometry has proven to be an extremely useful and sensitive tool for measuring small density fluctuations in some circumstances, this technique has been shown to have limited viability for large amplitude, high kθ fluctuations and/or core measurements. To this end, a new instrument based on two-dimensional imaging reflectometry has been developed to measure density fluctuations over an extended plasma region in the TEXTOR tokamak. This technique is made possible by collecting an extended spectrum of reflected waves with large-aperture imaging optics. Details of the imaging reflectometry concept, as well as technical details of the TEXTOR instrument, are presented. Data from proof-of-principle experiments on TEXTOR using a prototype system is presented, as well as results from a systematic off-line study of the advantages and limitations of...

To study the mechanism of anomalous transport in tokamaks requires the use of sophisticated diagnostic tools for the measurement of short-scale turbulent fluctuations. In this article, we describe an attempt at developing a technique capable of providing a comprehensive description of plasma fluctuations with k(subscript parallel rho i) < 1, such as such as those driven by the Ion Temperature Gradient mode in tokamaks. The proposed method is based on microwave reflectometry, and stems from a series of numerical calculations showing that the spatial structure of fluctuations near the cutoff could be obtained from the phase of reflected waves when these are collected with a wide aperture optical system forming an image of the cutoff onto an array of phase sensitive detectors. Preliminary measurements with a prototype apparatus on the Torus Experiment for Technology Oriented Research 94 (TEXTOR-94) [U. Samm, Proceedings of the 16th IEEE Symposium on Fusion Engineering, 1995 (IEEE, Piscata way, NJ, 1995), p. 470] confirm the validity of these conclusions. Technical issues in the application of the proposed technique to tokamaks are discussed in this article, and the conceptual design of an imaging reflectometer for the visualization of turbulent fluctuations in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) [M. Ono, et al., Nucl. Fusion 40, 557 (2000)] is described.

Measurements of the radial electric field profile in magnetically confined plasmas have yielded important new insights in the physics of L-H transitions, edge biasing and/or the active control of Internal and Edge Transport Barriers. The radial electric field is not an easy plasma parameter to diagnose. Techniques to measure the radial electric field in the plasma core are the Heavy Ion Beam Probe and the Motional Stark Effect. An indirect method that is quite often applied is to derive the electric field from measurements of the poloidal and toroidal rotation velocities via the radial ion force balance. This paper will first briefly explain the need for detailed measurements of the radial electric field profile. Subsequently, the various diagnostics to measure this parameter will be reviewed. The emphasis will be especially put on recent trends, rather than on an exhaustive overview.

Recently the Dutch, Belgian, and North-Rhine Westphalian Fusion Institutes have consolidated their fusion research on the medium-sized tokamak TEXTOR-94 in the so-called Trilateral Euregio Cluster. To aid the new physics program of TEC, a large number of advanced core diagnostics has recently been implemented. In this article we will discuss the reasoning that has led to the choices of the various diagnostics. Furthermore, we will briefly describe the new diagnostics systems. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.

A comprehensive set of diagnostics is planned for ITER-FEAT. The design of the systems is a substantial technical challenge because of the combination of the harsh environment with the demanding measurement requirements. Through a combination of careful choice of technique, materials, and design, supported by dedicated research and development, an extensive diagnostic set has been developed. The designs are based on existing techniques as much as possible but in some cases novel approaches have to be adopted. In the article the requirements for measurements are outlined and representative diagnostic designs are presented. Key issues in the design are identified and areas requiring further development are highlighted. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.

In present day tokamaks runaway electrons can be confined long enough to gain energies in the order of several tens of megaelectron volts. At these energies synchrotron radiation is emitted in the infrared wavelength range which can easily be detected by thermographic cameras. The spectral features of this synchrotron radiation are reviewed. On TEXTOR-94 a diagnostic exploiting this synchrotron radiation has been developed and is presented here. It is shown how to deduce the runaway parameters like runaway energy, pitch angle, runaway current and beam radius from the measurements. Based on the experience at TEXTOR-94 the feasibility of a similar synchrotron diagnostic on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor is discussed. The maximum emission is expected in the wavelength range from 1-5 mum. A beam of 10 MeV runaway electrons with a current of about 15 kA will already be detectable. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.

Progress in fusion research shows an increasing demand for diagnostics with high temporal and spatial resolution in order to study small and fast phenomena in fusion plasmas. Therefore, a new ten-channel pulsed radar reflectometer is under development for the TEXTOR Tokamak, to measure electron density profiles in the range of 0.4-4 X 10(19) m(-3) at a high repetition rate of 2 MHz. An additional feature of this diagnostic is the possibility to perform correlation measurements at 10 MHz repetition rate to investigate density fluctuations. The reflectometer will scan the plasma with 1-ns-long radar pulses in the 18-57 GHz range. In spite of the long flight time of the pulses of about 100 ns, the above mentioned high repetition rates could be achieved by time multiplexing the generation and reception of the radar pulses. Temporal selection of the received pulses is performed by fast switching of the local oscillators inputs of the heterodyne receiver, to generate time windows in which the reception of the reflected pulses is expected. An embedded VME controller will manage the system and store the data with a speed of 20 Msamples/s, up to a maximum of 64 Mbyte data per plasma shot. In order to facilitate the handling of such a huge amount of data, an advanced data reduction scheme is being developed. Remote operation with a fast data link from FZ Julich (Germany) to FOM Nieuwegein (The Netherlands) will be possible. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0034-6748(99)68001-7].

A fast camera system is being prepared for the TEXTOR tokamak for the investigation of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) instabilities. The camera will consist of a scintillator screen for conversion of x rays into visible light, a fiberoptic cable for transport of the visible images out of the Textor magnetic field, an electrostatic image converter for amplification and demagnification of the images, and a fast charge-coupled device (CCD) camera for capturing and storing the image data. The purpose of our camera is two-dimensional imaging of magnetic islands and the structure of MHD instabilities. In order to increase the signal intensity and simultaneously reduce statistical noise, we maximize the diameter of the scintillator screen to 100 mm. For good time response, we use fast scintillators and phosphors, and plan to employ a 1 MHz framing CCD camera. MHD events having an amplitude larger than 1% can be observed with a time resolution of 100 kHz and a spatial resolution of 3 cm. In the future, the camera will be used on the Large Helical Device in Japan. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0034-6748(99)62201-8].

Experiments with strong localized electron cyclotron heating (ECH) in the RTP tokamak show that electron heat transport is governed by alternating layers of good and bad thermal conduction. For central deposition hot T-e filaments are observed inside the q = 1 radius. Moving the ECH resonance from the centre to the edge of the plasma results in discrete steps of the central electron temperature. The transitions occur when the minimum q value crosses q = 1, 2, 5/2 or 3, and correspond to the loss of a transport barrier situated close to the rational q value. Close to the transitions a new type of sawtooth activity is observed, characterized by the formation of sharp off-axis maxima on the T, profile, which collapse abruptly. The formation of the off-axis maxima is attributed to heat deposition precisely 'on top of' a transport barrier.

A new method is presented for performing combined interferometric and polarimetric measurements on tokamak plasmas with high temporal resolution. The method can be regarded as a generalization of techniques suggested by others, A triple-laser far-infrared system serves to generate three frequency-offset laser beams, of which two are used to probe the plasma in orthogonal polarization states. The method has been implemented at the Rijnhuizen Tokamak Project. Some features of the method will be discussed and first plasma measurements will be presented. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.

Reflectometry will be used on ITER to measure the density profile in the main plasma and divertor regions, and to measure the plasma position and shape in order to provide a standby reference for the magnetic diagnostics in long pulse discharges. The high temperatures of the ITER core and the resultant significant relativistic downshift of the second-harmonic electron cyclotron absorption imply that both low-field side O-mode and high-field side lower cut-off (X−l mode) systems are required to access the full plasma profile. A low-field side upper cut-off (X−u mode) system will also be required for measurements of the scrape-off layer. For measurements of the plasma position and shape, an O-mode system is optimum due to the large range of magnetic field along the plasma periphery and the wide range of possible plasma configurations achievable on ITER. A robust real-time calibration technique of the whole transmission line is required. It is likely that an accurate estimate of the position of the plasma will require the simultaneous use of signals from the profile reflectometer. For the divertor, profiles with peak densities in the range 1019–1022/m3 are to be measured with a target resolution of 3 mm. The large density range will necessitate the use of more than one system. Installing these reflectometers on ITER incurs additional difficulties such as the routing of the millimetre wave radiation around the complicated first wall and divertor structures and design of antennas able to operate through the first wall and blanket.

In December 2003 a new 10 kHz multiposition Thomson scattering diagnostic with high spatial resolution has become operational on the TEXTOR tokamak. The system is the follow up of the high-resolution double-pulse Thomson scattering diagnostic. The conventional ruby laser has been replaced by a 10 kHz intracavity laser system and the spectrometer detector has been upgraded with two ultrafast complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor cameras combined with a special image intensifier stage. In the initial phase of operation, a burst of 18 pulses decaying from 17 to 8 J, with a repetition rate of 5 kHz, could be extracted from the laser. At a laser energy up to 12 J per pulse, ten electron temperature and density profiles were measured with an observational error of 10% on the electron temperature (T-e) and 5% on the electron density (n(e)) at n(e)=2.5x10(19) m(-3) per spatial element of 12 mm. The resolution of the detection optics enables to sample either the full plasma diameter of 900 mm with 120 spatial channels of 7.5 mm each, or a 160 mm long edge chord with 98 spatial channels of 1.7 mm each. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.

Interferometry is a standard technique for measuring the line‐integrated electron density of magnetically confined plasmas. It is based on the fact that an electromagnetic wave, on its passage through a plasma, experiences a phase change with respect to the vacuum situation. Moreover, the plane of polarization of the wave will in general rotate because the plasma is birefringent. The total (Faraday) rotation angle of the wave, which can be measured by polarimetric techniques, is proportional to the line‐integrated value of the magnetic field component parallel to the beam. The optimum wavelength for interferometry/polarimetry, for diagnosing magnetically confined plasmas is in the far‐infrared and infrared spectral region. To invert the line‐integrated data of the electron density and magnetic field component to local values, without using too stringent assumptions on the plasma symmetry, it is necessary to probe the plasma along multiple chords. In many confinement devices this is done by using a limited number of discrete probing chords. In recent years much attention has been devoted to the development of multichannel interferometer/polarimeter systems with a much better coverage of the plasma, which could be achieved by expanding the probing beam either to a slab‐ or a fanlike beam, covering almost the complete minor cross section of the plasma. A much higher number of detectors can be implemented in this way, thus substantially improving the spatial resolution of the measurements. In this paper the present status of interferometer/polarimeter systems featuring slablike or fanlike probing beams will be reviewed. Results of detailed measurements that have been performed to study the effect of magnetohydrodynamic activity (in particular sawteeth), disruptions, additional heating, and pellet injection on the electron density distribution, will be used to illustrate the merits of interferometry/polarimetry with high spatial resolution.

Summary form only given. MagnetoHydroDynamic (MHD) instabilities and turbulence phenomena in tokamak plasmas are complex and multi-dimensional. It is imperative to equip 2D/3D diagnostic systems for a full understanding, which is essential to perfect the theoretical models for MHD and turbulence based transport physics. On KSTAR, such a unique opportunity will be established. A 2D Electron Cyclotron Emission Imaging (ECEI) system has been the leading tool for this effort and it will be extended to a 3D measurement with an additional system at a toroidally separated position in 2012. A 2D Microwave Imaging System (MIR) for density turbulence measurements will be combined with this system. Following a successful operation of the prototype Beam Emission Spectroscopy (BES) system on KSTAR, the full 2D system (8×8) is expected to be operational in 2012. These three imaging diagnostic systems on KSTAR will be instrumental in assessing the multi-dimensional turbulent/fluctuation spectra for the density and temperature. In this paper, MHD study results from the KSTAR ECEI system will be presented, along with a correlation study between the density fluctuations from BES and temperature fluctuations from ECEI. The future study plan for multi-dimensional correlation between Te and ne fluctuation from BES, MIR and ECEI systems will be the focus of this paper.

An 80-channel soft x-ray tomography system has been constructed for diagnosing the RTP (Rijnhuizen Tokamak Project) tokamak plasma. Five pinhole cameras, each with arrays of 16 detectors are distributed more or less homogeneously around a poloidal plasma cross section. The cameras are positioned close to the plasma edge to enable viewing angles which could not be reached otherwise. The system can be used for making tomographic reconstructions of the soft x-ray emissivity with a relatively high poloidal mode number (up to both components of m = 4), which is an improvement with respect to other plasma tomography systems presented in literature. The temporal resolution of the system is 5 mus. Apart from a description of the hardware and geometrical layout of the system, the paper will focus on two important issues, namely the calibration of the detectors and the positioning of the cameras in the vacuum vessel of the tokamak. A dedicated x-ray source has been designed for the relative calibration of the detectors of each individual camera. Misalignment causes several artifacts in tomographic reconstructions obtained with multicamera systems. Therefore, two new methods are proposed which make use of the plasma itself for improving the knowledge about the positions of the cameras.

The Rutherford scattering diagnostic at TEXTOR was used to determine the central toroidal rotation speed of the hydrogenic bulk ions in the plasma. During neutral beam injection speeds of the order of 10(5) ms-1 were found. With balanced injection no rotation was observed. A first comparison with charge exchange recombination spectroscopy showed, within the accuracy of the methods, no difference in the derived speeds, in agreement with neoclassical theory. The momentum confinement time of the central hydrogenic ions was found to decrease with the neutral beam power as approximately 1/square-root P(NBI).

Techniques for visualizing turbulent flow in nature and in the laboratory have evolved over half a millennium from Leonardo da Vinci's sketches of cascading waterfalls to the advanced imaging technologies which are now pervasive in our daily lives. Advancements in millimeter wave imaging have served to usher in a new era in plasma diagnostics, characterized by ever improving 2D, and even 3D, images of complex phenomena intokamak and stellarator plasmas. Examples at the forefront of this revolution are electron cyclotron emission imaging (ECEI) and microwave imaging reflectometry (MIR). ECEI has proved to be a powerful tool as it has provided immediate physics results following successful diagnostic installations on TEXTOR, ASDEX-U, DIIID, and KSTAR. Recent results from the MIR system on LHD are demonstrating that this technique has the potential for comparable impact in the diagnosis of electron density fluctuations. This has motivated a recent resurgence in MIR research and development, building on a prototype system demonstrated on TEXTOR, toward the realization of combined ECEI/MIR systems on DIII-D and KSTAR for simultaneous imaging of electron temperature and density fluctuations. The systems discussed raise the standard for fusion plasma diagnostics and present a powerful new capability for the validation of theoretical models and numerical simulations.

Soft x-ray spectra have been measured in the RTP tokamak both during the ohmic phase for densities 2 X 10(19) less-than-or-equal-to n(e)(0) less-than-or-equal-to 7 X 10(19) m-3, and during the ECRH phase at a density n(e)(0) = 2 X 10(19) m-3 for several power levels. Large deformations of the soft x-ray spectra have been observed down to energies as low as hv almost-equal-to 4 keV making the determination of the electron temperature difficult. The soft x-ray spectrum of the Ohmic phase has an almost flat tail, while the spectrum during ECRH shows a strong deformation at energies several times thermal and has a moderate tail. Simulations of the experimental data have been performed using a (2 + 1)-dimensional bounce-average Fokker-Planck code and good agreement has been found. Using the simulated electron velocity distribution, some important quantities like the energy of the suprathermal population and the change in conductivity with respect to the neoclassical value have been determined.

The newly installed electron cyclotron emission imaging diagnostic on ASDEX Upgrade provides measurements of the 2D electron temperature dynamics with high spatial and temporal resolution. An overview of the technical and experimental properties of the system is presented. These properties are illustrated by the measurements of the edge localized mode and the reversed shear Alfven eigenmode, showing both the advantage of having a two-dimensional (2D) measurement, as well as some of the limitations of electron cyclotron emission measurements. Furthermore, the application of singular value decomposition as a powerful tool for analyzing and filtering 2D data is presented. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3483214]

Advances in microwave technology and innovative ideas have enabled visualization of complex physics of the high temperature plasmas in magnetic fusion devices. ECE Imaging system becomes a powerful tool for MHD physics in various devices and the potential of the MIR system has been reassessed and a system design for KSTAR is in progress.

High-power millimetre wave beams employed on ITER for heating and Current drive at the 170 GHz electron cyclotron resonance frequency require agile steering and tight focusing of the beams to suppress neoclassical tearing modes. This paper presents experimental validation of the remote steering (RS) concept of the ITER upper port millimetre wave beam launcher. Remote steering at the entrance of the upper port launcher rather than at the plasma side offers advantages in reliability and maintenance of the mechanically Vulnerable steering system. A one-to-one scale mock-up consisting of a transmission line, mitre bends, remote steering unit, vacuum window, square corrugated waveguide and front mirror simulates the ITER launcher design configuration. Validation is based on low-power heterodyne measurements of the complex amplitude and phase distribution of the steered Gaussian beam. High-power (400 kW) short Pulse (10 ms) operation under vacuum, diagnosed by calorimetry and thermography of the near- and far-field beam patterns, confirms high-power operation, but shows increased power loss attributed to deteriorating input beam quality compared with low-power operation. Polarization measurements show little variation with steering, which is important for effective current drive requiring elliptical polarization for O-mode excitation. Results show that a RS range Of LIP to -12 to +12 can be achieved with acceptable beam quality. These measurements confirm the back-up design of the ITER ECRH&CD launcher with future application for DEMO. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantitative measurements of the electron density fluctuation spectra, S(omega, k), are presented as a result of collective scattering measurements with 2 mm waves at various radial positions in the equatorial plane of the TORTUR Tokamak plasma. The spectra are determined in a wide frequency range up to 100 MHz and in a k-range between 400 and 4400 m-1 corresponding to scattering angles between 8-degrees and 90-degrees. It was found by performing experiments for various directions of k, that the fluctuations are isotropic in the poloidal plane, i.e. k0 almost-equal-to k(r). The total fluctuation level rises from 2% in the plasma centre to more than 10% near the plasma periphery. The theoretically expected frequency ranges for various models, like density gradient-driven modes, trapped electron modes and the high-frequency high m-number magnetic tearing modes are much smaller than the experimental values. This can be explained by a frequency shift due to toroidal rotation. Fluctuations at frequencies above 10 MHz in the ion cyclotron frequency range, for which the set-up was especially built, turned out to be absent. The decay coefficients of the k-spectra are found to be - 3.6 +/- 0.6 which is larger than the Kolmogorov value (8/3). Predictions for the radial dependence of by the filamentation hypothesis of Taylor are found to be consistent with experimental values for r/a less-than-or-equal-to 0.5. Values for the electron thermal diffusivity calculated by the heuristic expression chi(e) = gamma/2, with gamma and k(perpendicular-to) derived from the scattering data, were found to be in agreement with values derived from power balance and perturbation measurements.

A Rutherford scattering diagnostic has been applied at the TEXTOR tokamak to obtain spatially and temporally resolved information on the temperature of the bulk ions in the plasma. In the experimental setup, a helium atomic beam (30-keV, 12-mA equivalent current) passes vertically through the plasma core. A small part of the injected atoms is scattered elastically by the thermally moving plasma ions. The ion temperature in the scattering volume can be determined from the broadening of the energy spectrum of the scattered particles. Energy analysis of the scattered atoms is performed by a mass-selective time-of-flight analyzer detecting the particles at an observation angle which is selectable between 3-degrees and 8-degrees. Coincidence techniques have been successfully applied in this detector for rejection of background events triggered by detections of neutrons and gamma radiation. Ion temperature profiles were measured on a shot-to-shot basis by shifting the cross section of the diagnostic beam and the observational volume of the analyzer through the plasma. The ion temperatures measured in ohmic deuterium plasmas were found to be in reasonable agreement with those obtained from passive neutral particle analysis. Up to now, ion temperatures have been measured throughout the complete discharge with an accuracy of 8% and a time and space resolution of 100 ms and 0.10 m at a scattering angle of 7-degrees. Deuteron density profiles could be deduced from the scattering yield measured at different radial positions in the plasma. The ratio of the isotopes, hydrogen and deuterium, was determined from their separate contributions to the spectrum of helium particles scattered on hydrogen and deuterium. Although theoretical predictions showed that the majority of the probing helium atoms loses one of its electrons during the elastic scattering process on multiply charged carbon and oxygen ions, contributions from impurities to the observed experimental spectrum are shown to appear dominant for impure plasmas.

A new electron cyclotron emission imaging (ECEI) diagnostic system is implemented on the DIII-D tokamak. This design makes use of technologies successfully demonstrated on the TEXTOR and ASDEX-UG tokamaks, while incorporating new features to provide enhanced flexibility and improved operation. The diagnostic makes use of a dual array configuration, allowing for simultaneous imaging of both the low and high field sides of the plasma, and is fully operational during electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH). Additionally, the highly flexible optical design allows for automated remote control of the vertical plasma coverage and resolution, focal plane location, and radial plasma coverage.

Advances in heterodyne receiver array technology coupled with a simplified optical design have resulted in significantly expanded plasma coverage and enhanced sensitivity, while simultaneously reducing the local oscillator power levels required to pump the imaging mixer arrays. Details of the next generation plasma imaging concept and its application on the DIII-D tokamak are discussed. Additionally, details of imaging technologies applied on the redesigned TEXTOR ECE imaging system are provided.

A new TEXTOR electron cyclotron emission imaging system has been developed and employed, providing a diagnostic with new features and enhanced capabilities when compared to the legacy system it replaces. Optical coupling to the plasma has been completely redesigned, making use of new minilens arrays for reduced optical aberration and providing the new feature of vertical zoom, whereby the vertical coverage is now remotely adjustable on a shot-by-shot basis from 20-35 cm. Other innovations, such as the implementation of stacked quasioptical planar notch filters, allow for the diagnostic to be operated without interruption or degradation in performance during electron cyclotron resonance heating. Successful commissioning of the new diagnostic and a demonstration of the improved capabilities are presented in this paper, along with a discussion of the new technologies employed. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3233913]

The self-organization of a tokamak plasma is a fundamental turbulent plasma phenomenon, which leads to the formation of a self-consistent pressure profile. This phenomenon has been investigated in several tokamaks with different methods of heating. It is shown that the normalized pressure profile has a universal shape for a wide class of tokamaks and regimes, if the normalized radius ρ = r/(I p R/κB)1/2 is used. The consequences of this phenomenon for low aspect ratio tokamaks, the optimal deposition of additional heating, fast velocity of heat/cold pulse propagation and the possibility of obtaining a peaked density profile in ITER are discussed.

A neutral particle energy analyzer has been developed to measure both the energy and the mass of the incoming particles with only one array of detectors. Energy analysis is performed by means of deflection in an electrostatic field. The mass of the particle is determined by measuring the flight time from a stripping foil to a channel electron multiplier in the focal plane of the analyzer. The application of a stripping foil instead of a gas cell increases the stripping efficiency and simplifies the vacuum system. Monte Carlo simulation studies and first calibration experiments show that the analyzer can be used even at energies down to 1 keV, as long as the stripping foil does not exceed a thickness of 2.0 μg/cm2. These simulations take into account the angular and energy straggling processes that take place in the foil. A triple‐coincidence technique can be applied to decrease the sensitivity of the analyzer to neutron and gamma background radiation considerably, as will be shown by calculations.

Advances in array technology coupled with a simplified optical design have resulted in significantly expanded plasma coverage and enhanced sensitivity, while simultaneously reducing the LO power levels required to pump the imaging mixer array. Details of the next generation plasma imaging concept, with particular emphasis of the redesigned TEXTOR ECE imaging system, are provided.

A highly sensitive imaging Thomson scattering system was developed for low temperature (0.1-10 eV) plasma applications at the Pilot-PSI linear plasma generator. The essential parts of the diagnostic are a neodymium doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser operating at the second harmonic (532 nm), a laser beam line with a unique stray light suppression system and a detection branch consisting of a Littrow spectrometer equipped with an efficient detector based on a "Generation III" image intensifier combined with an intensified charged coupled device camera. The system is capable of measuring electron density and temperature profiles of a plasma column of 30 mm in diameter with a spatial resolution of 0.6 mm and an observational error of 3% in the electron density (n(e)) and 6% in the electron temperature (T-e) at n(e)=4 x 10(19) m(-3). This is achievable at an accumulated laser input energy of 11 J (from 30 laser pulses at 10 Hz repetition frequency). The stray light contribution is below 9 x 10(17) m(-3) in electron density equivalents by the application of a unique stray light suppression system. The amount of laser energy that is required for a n(e) and T-e measurement is 7 x 10(20)/n(e) J, which means that single shot measurements are possible for n(e)>2 x 10(21) m(-3). (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.

An overview of the developments postcirca 1980s in the instrumentation and application of charge exchange neutral particle diagnostics on magnetic fusion energy experiments is presented. First, spectrometers that employ only electric fields and hence provide ion energy resolution but not mass resolution are discussed. Next, spectrometers that use various geometrical combinations of both electric and magnetic fields to provide both energy and mass resolutions are reviewed. Finally, neutral particle diagnostics based on utilization of time-of-flight techniques are presented.

Electron cyclotron current drive will become the main scheme on ITER for the stabilization of neoclassical tearing modes (NTMs) and the control of sawtooth oscillations. The effectiveness of this scheme forms the basis for the requirements of the ITER Upper Port Launcher. These requirements include the need for steering the mm-wave beam to the pertinent magnetic flux surfaces where the instability develops. Several concepts have been explored; front steering (FS) where a system of movable mirrors is situated at the plasma-facing end of the launcher; remote steering (RS) where the movable mirror system is situated at the back end of the launcher system. The advantage of the RS concept is that moving parts are placed away from the plasma in a secondary vacuum system, less exposed to plasma neutron flux, thus offering advantages in reliability and safety of the machine. Also, contamination of the beam steering unit by Be and T is less of a problem. However, beam-focusing properties of the RS launcher deteriorate with increased steering angle, which limits the NTM stabilization performance as compared with FS. In this paper, recent improvements in the RS design are presented. The stabilization efficiency calculated reaches values that meet most of the ITER requirements. Improvements include non-spherical front mirrors and a tapered square corrugated waveguide. Rather than steering all mm-wave beams over the entire vertical height range specified, RS launchers with a limited steering range are explored, yielding a performance improvement of 25% with an acceptable mm-wave heat load of 5.7 MW m−2 on the front mirrors. This result leads to a dual launcher concept with one set of beams dedicated to control NTMs at the outward lying q = 2 surface and another set of beams dedicated to control NTMs at the inward lying q = 3/2 surface in combination with sawteeth control at the innermost q = 1 surface.

Many challenges are encountered in the design of diagnostics for a burning plasma experiment commencing with the definition of the measurement requirements in a coherent way. The specific hostile environment of the burning plasma experiment gives rise to many phenomena that are new to the diagnostics design (radiation‐induced effects, long pulses, high particle fluxes, strong relativistic effects, etc.). This presents an overview of the main diagnostics challenges and briefly outlines some of the solutions being developed to meet them.