Initial Fulcher band observations from high resolution spectroscopy in the MAST-U divertor

Abstract

High resolution D2∗ Fulcher band spectroscopy was used in the MAST-U divertors during Super-X and (shorter-legged) elongated divertor density ramps with D2 fuelling from the mid-plane high-field side. In the Super-X case, the upper divertor showed ground state rotational temperatures of the D2 molecules increasing from ~6000 K, starting at the detachment onset, to ~9000 K during deepening detachment. This was correlated with the movement of the Fulcher emission region towards the X-point, which is in turn correlated with the movement of the ionisation source. The increase in rotational temperature occurred throughout the divertor except near the divertor entrance, where ionisation was still the dominant process. Qualitative agreement was obtained between the lower and upper divertor. Similar rotational temperatures were obtained in the elongated divertor before the detachment onset, although the increase in rotational temperature during detachment was less clearly observed as less deep detachment was obtained. The measured vibrational distribution of the upper Fulcher state does not agree with a ground state Boltzmann distribution but shows a characteristically elevated population in the ν = 2 and ν = 3 bands in particular; which is strongly correlated to the rotational temperature.