Bolometer Signal Research Articles

Bifurcation-like transition of divertor conditions induced by X-point radiation in KSTAR L-mode plasmas *

Density ramps with ion grad B drift directed into lower single null KSTAR L-mode plasmas are associated with a simultaneous and abrupt reduction of the divertor particle flux on both low- and high-field-side targets when the mid-plane line averaged electron density reaches a given level. Target embedded Langmuir probe signals show a clear ‘cliff edge’ behavior similar to that observed in the divertor target electron temperature in DIII-D H-mode plasmas (Eldon et al 2017 Nucl. Fusion 57 066039; McLean et al 2015 J. Nucl. Mater. 463 533–6). The collapse of the particle flux is observed along the whole divertor target area (from private flux region to the far scrape-off layer (SOL)). The critical upstream density of this target flux cliff is invariant under fuel gas throughput modulation. The transition along the cliff occurs in tens of milliseconds. With the cliff, carbon impurities and deuterium neutrals transported through the X-point to the core produce a strong radiation spot near the X-point, seen on bolometric signals, and increase the upstream density. The experimental observations are consistent with time-dependent SOLPS-ITER simulations, which also demonstrate an abrupt transition of the target flux and upstream density with the increase in X-point radiation. The timescale of the cliff predicted by SOLPS-ITER is consistent with the experiment, although, it is influenced by gas throughput or time-dependent numerical methods. In the L-mode phase space of separatrix electron density and temperature, branches are divided based on target temperature, because the latter is strongly coupled to the radiation front and ionization front due to the monotonic characteristic of the parallel electron temperature distribution. Since the H-mode condition operates at a much higher upstream density and electron temperature in phase space, dissipation from sputtered carbon alone leads to the density limit before reaching the X-point radiation condition. This is therefore consistent with the fact that cliffs have never been observed in H-mode KSTAR experiments.

Bolometric light curves of aspherical shock breakout

ABSTRACT The shock breakout emission is the first light that emerges from a supernova. In the spherical case, it is characterized by a brief UV flash. In an axisymmetric, non-spherical prolate explosion, the shock first breaches the surface along the symmetry axis, then peels around to larger angles, producing a breakout light curve which may differ substantially from the spherically symmetric case. We study the emergence of a non-relativistic, bipolar shock from a spherical star, and estimate the basic properties of the associated bolometric shock breakout signal. We identify four possible classes of breakout light curves, depending on the degree of asphericity. Compared to spherical breakouts, we find that the main distinguishing features of significantly aspherical breakouts are (1) a longer and fainter initial breakout flash and (2) an extended phase of slowly declining, or even rising, emission which is produced as ejecta flung out by the oblique breakout expand and cool. We find that the breakout flash has a maximum duration of roughly ∼R*/vbo, where R* is the stellar radius and vbo is the velocity of the fastest moving ejecta. For a standard Wolf−Rayet progenitor, the duration of the X-ray flash seen in SN 2008D exceeds this limit, and the same holds true for the prompt X-ray emission of low-luminosity GRBs such as GRB 060218. This suggests that these events cannot be explained by an aspherical explosion within a typical Wolf−Rayet star, implying that they originate from non-standard progenitors with larger breakout radii.

Calculation of the radiated power in WEST

The WEST tokamak is currently equipped with a set of horizontal bolometers to estimate the radiation level of plasma scenarios. The exact relation between bolometer signal and radiating power is derived, highlighting the approximations required to express a proportionality between bolometer signal and radiation level. Further approximations are needed to correct for overlapping lines of sights. They are done via a truncated trapeze approximation. To test the robustness of all these approximations and uncertainties, a synthetic diagnostic basis is constructed coupled to a Monte Carlo ray-tracing tool, and applied to a large set of emissivity phantoms representative of WEST plasma geometries and radiation distributions. It results that the approximations are valid, with uncertainty levels bounded by 5% to 10% depending on the plasma geometry. Application to WEST plasmas shows that the radiated power fraction (related to total power) is about 50% in the first experimental campaigns. A finite radiation level originates from the divertor together with finite radiations from the core. It suggests a detrimental mixture of light impurities and tungsten in the plasma, possibly caused by poor chamber conditioning.

Cryogenic spectrometer for measuring the far-IR to millimeter-wave absorptivity of cosmic analog dusts.

We report on the design, construction, and performance of a custom apparatus built to measure the frequency- and temperature-dependent absorptivity of millimeter-wave light by cosmic analog dusts. We highlight the unique challenges faced as well as a few key innovations that are part of the instrument. Among those is an ultra-compact Fourier transform spectrometer. We have measured its effective frequency range and FWHM resolution to be 150-2100 GHz and ∼45GHz, respectively. Another innovation is a cold sample positioner whose temperature can be controlled within the range of 3.7-50 K. The use of a pulse-tube cryocooler results in a pulse-synchronous signal that dominates the detector (bolometer) signal. Methods used to address that challenge are also presented.

Radiation measurement in plasma disruption by thin-foil infrared bolometer.

A thin-foil infrared bolometer has been developed to measure the plasma radiation quantitatively during plasma disruptions in the KSTAR tokamak. We present analytic solutions of a 0D heat transfer model, which enable the estimation of the plasma radiation from the bolometer signal. The analytical solutions for the linear response regime give practical ways by which the radiation power and energy can be estimated from the cooling time scale of the bolometer signal. A useful way of evaluating the linear response of the system is also introduced. The analysis is complemented by 2D heat transfer simulations. The bolometer signals from the shattered pellet injection experiments in the 2020 KSTAR campaign are analyzed and interpreted according to the heat transfer models.

The impact of ELM mitigation on tungsten source in the EAST divertor

Divertor tungsten (W) erosion source during edge localized mode (ELM) bursts in EAST is investigated based on optical emission spectroscopy on atomic neutral tungsten line emission at 400.9 nm. Both temporal evolution and total source strength are analyzed and compared in three different ELM mitigation schemes including natural ELMs, resonant magnetic perturbations (RMP) and 2.45 GHz lower hybrid wave (LHW). The mitigation of W source caused by single ELM impact at the divertor target is mainly attributed to the reduction of the W source production in the ELM decay phase. However, with the increase of ELM frequency, the time-averaged intra-ELM W source during an ELM cycle rises and dominates the evolution of the total W source with increasing fraction, which exhibits strong correlation with the core W level in the RMP scheme. In the natural ELM scheme, the pedestal electron temperature is found not only to control the effective W sputtering yield at target during ELMs, thus influencing the intra-ELM W source, but also to be related to the delay time between the divertor ELM WI emission and the core extreme ultraviolet bolometer (XUV) signal which can scale with the parallel ion transit time. Furthermore, the delay time is found to have more consistent dependence on the pedestal plasma collisionality. The rise time of intra-ELM WI emission increases when RMP or LHW is applied, revealing a different ELM mitigation mechanism in comparison with the natural ELM scheme. The temporal profiles of the intra-ELM WI emission in different ELM mitigation schemes are compared and the potential mechanism is discussed. Besides, the ELM mitigation effects with RMP are found to be asymmetric at the outer and inner divertor targets, which is characterized by the different variations of the intra-ELM W source strength and the rise time of WI emission with the ramp-up of RMP coil current. Divertor partial detachment is achieved simultaneously with strong ELM mitigation under a suitable RMP phase difference without additional gas puff.

Correction for Neutral Pressure-Driven Signal in Radiated Power Measurements on Proto-MPEX

A pinhole camera using four-channel resistive bolometers was designed and implemented on the Prototype Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (Proto-MPEX) to measure the plasma radiated power. Quantification of the radiated power is required for comprehensive power balance assessments but faces unique challenges on linear plasma devices due to weak absolute signal, compared to typical use in toroidal fusion plasmas, and high neutral pressure changes. Around 1 mTorr, the pressure-driven signal contribution was shown to overwhelm the radiated power signal in Proto-MPEX, found to be ~3 μW. Since the pressure-driven signals could not be predicted from first principle arguments, the signals were corrected using empirical models that take two experimental pressure measurements and the raw bolometer signal to reveal the radiated power signals. Four “gas-only” Proto-MPEX shots were taken, without the radio frequency (rf) plasma discharge, to train, optimize, and validate empirical models. The data included two pressure measurements at different locations along with the bolometer signal. Multiple models were tested; partial least-squares regression with a cross correlation method to account for the time offset in the pressure measurements provided the best combination of accuracy and stability. The model was validated to have a modeling error of 0.0036 V, which was lower than 10% of the expected radiated power signal. The model was tested on a different “gas-only” shot with a complete time-series data. For plasma operation shots, the corrected bolometer measurements were compared with an absolute extreme ultraviolet photodiode measurement and similarities and differences are discussed.

A Novel Current-Controlled Oscillator-Based Low-Supply-Voltage Microbolometer Readout Architecture

In this paper, we present a novel, almost-digital approach for bolometer readout circuits to overcome the area and power dissipation bottlenecks of analog-based classical microbolometer circuits. A current-controlled oscillator (CCO)-based analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is utilized instead of a capacitive transimpedance amplifier (CTIA) in the classical readout circuits. This approach, which has not been reported before, both produces the required gain in the bolometer input circuit and directly digitizes the bolometer signal. With the proposed architecture, the need for large capacitances (of the order of 10–15[Formula: see text]pF for each column) at which the current is accumulated in the bolometer circuits and the voltage headroom limitation of classical microbolometer circuits are eliminated. Therefore, the proposed architecture permits to design readout circuits with reduced pixel pitch and lower power supply, both of which in turn lead to higher-resolution Focal Plane Arrays (FPAs) with lower power dissipation. The new architecture is modeled and simulated using a 180-nm CMOS process for sensitivity, noise performance, and power dissipation. Unlike the 3.3-V power supply usage of classical readout circuits, the proposed design utilizes 1.2-V analog and 0.9-V digital supply voltages with a power dissipation of almost half of the classical approach.

Systematic Studies of a Sapphire Bolometer with Phonon Pulses in the Temperature Range of 10–100 mK

Systematic studies with a sapphire bolometer test setup, made with indigenously made NTD Ge sensor, are carried out. A C++ and ROOT-based pulse analysis program implementing Savitzky–Golay filtering technique for analyzing the bolometer signal is discussed. Response of the bolometer subject to heater pulses of energy equivalent of 0.3–5 MeV is presented in the temperature range of 10–100 mK. The energy resolution is found to be 15 ± 3 keV in the temperature range of 15–25 mK. It is observed that the energy resolution of the bolometer is nearly constant $$\sim \,15\,\pm $$ 3 keV over the energy range of 0.3–5 MeV. Performance of the bolometer with the addition of a moderate-size tin sample ($$\sim $$ 0.6 g) to the sapphire substrate is presented. The impact of vibration on the bolometer is also discussed.

Phonon-Mediated KIDs as Light Detectors for Rare Event Search: The CALDER Project

Background suppression plays a crucial role in particle physics experiments searching for rare events, such as neutrinoless double beta decay and dark matter interactions. Bolometers, that are among the most competitive devices in this field, would largely benefit from the development of ultrasensitive light detectors, as the combined readout of the bolometric and light signals enables the particle identification. The CALDER collaboration is developing superconducting light detectors that will match the requirements of next generation experiments: noise lower than 20 eV, large active area (>20 cm 2 ), wide temperature range of operation, high radiopurity, and ease in fabricating hundreds of channels. For this purpose, we are exploiting the excellent energy resolution and the natural multiplexed readout provided by kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs). KIDs have already demonstrated their potentiality as direct detectors of photons for different astrophysical applications. The aim of our project is to apply this technology in particle physics, using indirect detection. These devices can be operated in a phonon-mediated approach, in which KIDs are coupled to a large insulating substrates in order to increase the active surface from a few mm2 to 25 cm 2 . We have already demonstrated the feasibility of a phonon-mediated KIDs-based light detectors, using aluminium sensors. These device reached a baseline sensitivity of around 80 eV with an overall efficiency of about 20%. Currently, we are testing new materials (e.g., Ti-Al and nonstoichiometric TiN) to enhance the sensitivity and reach the goal of our project. We present our results and the physical interpretation of the device behavior. Finally, we also discuss the impact of this project on the most advanced bolometric experiments searching for neutrinoless double beta decay and dark matter.

Phonon-Mediated KIDs as Light Detectors for Rare-Event Search: The CALDER Project

Background suppression plays a crucial role in experiments searching for rare events, like neutrino-less double beta decay (0 $$\nu $$ DBD) and dark matter. Large mass bolometers that are among the most competitive devices in this field would largely benefit from the development of ultrasensitive light detectors, as the combined readout of the bolometric and light signals enables the particle identification. The CALDER collaboration is developing cryogenic light detectors that will match the requirements of next generation experiments: noise lower than 20 eV RMS, large active area (several cm $$^{2}$$ ), wide temperature range of operation, and ease in fabricating and operating a thousand of detectors. For this purpose, we are exploiting the excellent energy resolution and the natural multiplexed read-out provided by kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs). These devices can be operated in a phonon-mediated approach, in which KIDs are coupled to a large insulating substrate in order to increase the active surface from a few mm $$^{2}$$ to 25 cm $$^{2}$$ . Our current best prototype, based on aluminum LEKIDs, reached a baseline sensitivity of 80 eV with an overall efficiency of about 20 %.

Photovoltaic infrared photoresponse of the high-mobility graphene quantum Hall system due to cyclotron resonance

We report on the infrared photoresponse of high-mobility graphene in high magnetic fields. Two types of photoresponse signals were observed that were due to photovoltaic and bolometric effects. The photovoltaic signal was observed in the quantum Hall regime, whereas the bolometric signal was dominant in the quantum Hall transition regime. The photovoltaic effect, which was induced by cyclotron resonance, was observable up to 180 K. The polarity of the photovoltaic photoresponse was shown to be systematically reversed on reversal of the applied magnetic field direction and measurement geometry, suggesting that the photovoltage signals were generated along the quantum Hall edge channel.

A weakly coupled semiconductor superlattice as a potential for a radio frequency modulated terahertz light emitter

The bolometer response to THz radiation from a weakly coupled GaAs/AlGaAs superlattice biased in the self-oscillations regime has been observed. The bolometer signal is modulated with the frequency equal to the fundamental frequency of superlattice self-oscillations. The frequency spectrum of the bolometer signal contains higher harmonics whose frequency is a multiple of fundamental frequency of self-oscillations.

Discrimination of α and β/γ interactions in a TeO2 bolometer

TeO2 crystals have proven to be superb bolometers for the search of neutrinoless double beta decay in many respects. However, if used alone, they do not exhibit any feature that allows to discriminate an α energy deposit from a β/γ one. This fact limits their ability to reject the background due to natural radioactivity and eventually affects the sensitivity of the search. In this paper we show the results of a TeO2 crystal where, in coincidence with its bolometric heat signal, also the luminescence light escaping the crystal is recorded. The results show that we are able to measure the light produced by β/γ particles, which can be explained as due to Cerenkov emission. No light is detected from α particles, allowing the rejection of this background source.

First results of the resistive bolometers on KSTAR

The resistive bolometers have been successfully installed in the midplane of L-port in Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device. The spatial and temporal resolutions, 4.5 cm and ∼1 kHz, respectively, enable us to measure the radial profile of the total radiated power from magnetically confined plasma at a high temperature through radiation and neutral particles. The radiated power was measured at all shots. Even at low plasma current, the bolometer signal was detectable. The electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECH) has been used in tokamak for ECH assisted start-up and plasma control by local heating and current drive. The detectors of resistive bolometer, near the antenna of ECH, are affected by electron cyclotron wave. The tomographic reconstruction, using the Phillips-Tikhonov regularization method, will be carried out for a major radial profile of the radiation emissivity of the circular cross-section plasma.

On the effect of cosmic rays in bolometric cosmic microwave background measurements from the stratosphere

Ultra-sensitive bolometric detectors in balloon-borne or satellite missions have the potential to discover low-level non gaussian features in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), due to topological defects or to the inflation process. However, the space environment includes a population of cosmic rays (CR), which produce spurious spikes in bolometric signals. In this paper we analyze how CR affect these measurements and the estimates of non-gaussianity and of angular power spectra of the CMB. Using accurate simulations of noise and CR events in bolometric detectors, we find that a de-spiking technique based on outliers removal in the detector signals contributing to the same sky pixel works well in removing CR events larger than the noise. Low level events hidden in the noise produce skewness and kurtosis of the temperatures of the pixels, indicating low-level non-gaussianity. Moreover, when the low-level CR distribution is not known a-priori, the standard noise estimation pipeline produces a positive bias of the power spectrum at high multipoles. In experiments with detector sensitivity better than 100 $\mu K / \sqrt{Hz}$, in an environment less favorable than the earth stratosphere, the CR-induced non gaussianity is likely to affect significantly the results.

Double-peak structure of the nonresonant photoresponse of terahertz quantum Hall detectors

We present an approach to the double-peak structure of the nonresonant (bolometric) contribution of the photoresponse, measured as a function of the magnetic field for the optically induced breakdown of the quantum Hall (QH) effect in devices with Corbino geometry. For the optical excitation of our devices, we used a $p$-Ge laser continuously tunable in the wavelength range of $120\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\text{m}\ensuremath{\le}\ensuremath{\lambda}\ensuremath{\le}180\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\text{m}$. In addition to the bolometric signal, we also observed peaks of the photoresponse due to the cyclotron resonance. In the theoretical part of this study, we present calculations on the basis of an electron heating model. Applying this model we provide a qualitative explanation of our experimental results. To get some insight into the amount of increase in the electron temperature of the QH system exposed to terahertz illumination, we also determined the electron temperature of the QH terahertz detector as a function of the electrical (Joule) heating. Up to about $25\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\text{W}$ and at a filling factor of 2, we found a linear increase in the electron temperature with the absorbed power.

Measurement of the Mutual Coherence Function of an Incoherent Infrared Field with a Gold Nano-wire Dipole Antenna Array

The first direct measurement of the mutual coherence function of a spatially incoherent infrared beam was performed at 10.6 μm using a pair of infrared dipole nano-wire antennas that were connected to a common bolometer in the center of the pair by short lengths of coplanar strip transmission line. A spatially incoherent source was constructed by dithering a BaF2 diffuser near the focus of a CO2 laser beam. The distance from the diffuser to the nano-wire antenna pair was held constant while the distance from the focus of the laser beam to the diffuser was varied to control the effective diameter of the source. The measured bolometer signal was proportional to the magnitude of the mutual coherence function at the plane of the antennas. The experimental results were found to match the predicted performance closely. If this technology can be extended to large arrays, a form of synthetic aperture optical imaging based on the Van Cittert-Zernike theorem is possible, similar to that performed at microwave frequencies now by astronomers. This has the potential to greatly increase the angular resolution attainable with optical instruments.

Bolometric detection of picosecond acoustic pulses in silicon and gallium arsenide

In this paper, we show that superconducting Aluminium bolometers are effective detectors of picosecond acoustic pulses. Femtosecond pulsed optical excitation of a thin Chromium film deposited on a crystal (Si or GaAs) substrate results in the generation of ballistic phonon pulses. Bolometers fabricated on the face of the substrate opposite the Cr film were used to detect the pulses. The bolometer signal was seen to consist of two components: a conventional heat pulse and, arriving at the bolometer slightly earlier, a "fast" longitudinal polarized pulse. Phonon imaging measurement showed the fast pulse to be highly collimated over propagation distances exceeding 1 cm. We attribute this fast signal to the picosecond acoustic pulse generated by the thermoelestic effect in the Cr transducer. We speculate as to the possible physical mechanisms of its detection by the bolometer.

Bolometric detector embedded in a polycrystalline diamond grown by chemical vapor deposition

A fast bolometric detector embedded in a plate of chemical-vapor-deposited polycrystalline diamond was developed and fabricated. The working element of the bolometer is a buried graphitized layer (with temperature-sensitive resistance) fabricated in the bulk of a diamond by C+ ion implantation followed by annealing. The kinetics of the response of the structure to irradiation with light from an LGI-21 pulsed nitrogen laser (λ = 337 nm, τP ∼ 8 ns) were studied. The room-temperature response width at half-maximum is ∼ 20 ns. Using the space-time distribution of responses of the structure, thermal (bolometric) signals were resolved from signals of different nature (photoconductivity or photovoltage).