Preliminary electron density profile and fluctuation measurements on GAMMA 10 using ultrashort-pulse reflectometry

Abstract

The use of ultrashort pulses (full width at half-maximum=1–100 ps) as a source of broadband, time-resolved radiation has high potential for application in microwave diagnostics for fusion plasmas. Here we report on the ultrashort-pulse reflectometry system developed for electron density profile and fluctuation measurements on the GAMMA 10 tandem mirror. The four-channel system (selectable frequencies of 8–17 GHz at 1 GHz intervals) measures the double-pass time-of-flight from the vacuum window to the cutoff layer. The hardware has an uncertainty of ±40 ps and can be operated at a repetition rate of 400 kHz. The system is operational, however, data from plasma experiments is unavailable at the moment. Results from a single-channel O-mode system show time-of-flight measurements consistent with values calculated from profiles obtained by a scannable single-channel interferometer. Fluctuation measurements are also consistent with results from a Fraunhofer diffraction diagnostic. These results suggest that with further refinements, ultrashort- pulse reflectometry will yield a simple yet reliable diagnostic for fusion devices.