Multichannel interferometer system for the helically symmetric experiment

Abstract

A multichannel millimeter-wave interferometer system has been designed, fabricated and installed on the helically symmetric experiment (HSX), located at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The interferometer system will view the plasma cross section along nine adjacent chords with 1.5 cm spacing. With this arrangement, coverage will span from the low-field side plasma scrape-off layer to well past the magnetic axis. For the plasma densities anticipated on HSX, a solid-state source operating at 288 GHz will be utilized. At this frequency refraction will be manageable, being less than the channel spacing. The source will be bias-tuned and modulated with a sawtooth wave form at 750 kHz in order to generate the intermediate frequency necessary for the heterodyne detection scheme. The signals will be measured using Schottky-diode corner-cube mixers. The interferometer will have sensitivity nedl≈8×1011 cm−2, being able to measure density changes <1%. Initially, the phase will be evaluated using analog electronics with bandwidth <10 kHz providing real-time line-integrated output. A digital phase comparator scheme will also be implemented whereby the measured wave forms are directly digitized and the phase evaluated using a software-based algorithm. This will increase the time response up to the modulation frequency of 750 kHz. Improved time response will permit measurement of high-frequency density fluctuations along with “fast changes in” the equilibrium profile.