Measurements of molybdenum radiation in the Alcator C-Mod tokamak using a multilayer mirror soft x-ray polychromator

Abstract

A photometrically calibrated polychromator utilizing layered synthetic microstructure coated flats (also known as multilayer mirrors, MLMs) as dispersive elements is operating on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak to measure the molybdenum emissions in the XUV. Molybdenum, the first wall material in C-Mod, is the dominant high Z impurity in the plasma. Three spectral regions are measured by three separate MLM-detector channels. The characteristic charge states in the region between 30–40 Å are Mo xv to Mo xx, between 65–90 Å are Mo xxiv to Mo xxvi, and between 110–130 Å are Mo xxxi and Mo xxxii. The instrument’s spectral resolution varies from 0.4 Å at λ=30 Å to 7 Å at λ=130 Å. The temporal resolution is typically 1.0 ms, but sampling rates of less than 1 ms are possible. The instrument was photometrically calibrated at The Johns Hopkins University using a Manson soft x-ray light source. Power loss estimates from Mo xxiv to Mo xxvi, Mo xxxi, and Mo xxxii have been obtained during ohmic and ICRF plasmas using the mist transport code to model the molybdenum charge state distributions in the plasma. The Mo concentrations have also been determined. Mo contributes ∼0.1 to the Zeff of 1.3 during ohmic plasmas. This contribution increases during ICRF heating to ∼0.5 of the Zeff of 2. The polychromator functions as a time-resolved soft x-ray emission power loss monitor.