Charge Exchange Recombination Research Articles

Fast shutter concepts for the new ITER core CXRS upper port plug baseline considering the actuator located inside and outside the port plug

For the ITER core charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (CXRS) upper port plug #3 (UPP) diagnostics, a fast shutter is necessary for the first optical mirrors. The shutter concept for the reference CXRS layout has been well developed and studied focusing on the structure dynamic behavior. This paper presents two shutter concepts for the new baseline layout. Concept-1 is similar to the reference concept, including the helium actuator attached to the diagnostic shielding module (DSM) in the primary vacuum. Concept-2 considers the actuator outside the primary vacuum. It is attached to the back side of the UPP and connected to the shutting mechanism with a push–pull rod. Assembly and disassembly, actuator location, and actuation type are key issues for concept assessment. For a feasibility study, two different leak cases for the shutter concepts have also been analyzed. Concept-1 requires a specialized actuator design compatible with the in-vessel conditions. The actuator size is limited by the lack of available space in the DSM. This option needs complex procedures to access the actuator for maintenance. Concept-2 allows the use of standard pneumatic/hydraulic actuators and other industrial components. Space allocation is needed inside the UPP to accommodate the push–pull rod system. Concept-2 allows independent maintenance procedures for the actuator(s) and the shutting mechanism. It was generally concluded that both options are suitable for the new baseline layout, and are to be studied in detail.

Effect of magnetic field configuration on parallel plasma flow during neutral beam injection in Heliotron J

The effect of magnetic field configurations on plasma flow velocity was investigated by measuring the parallel flow velocity (v∥) using a charge-exchange recombination spectroscopy during neutral beam injection in three different toroidal mirror configurations of Heliotron J: high, standard and reversed mirror configurations. The magnetic ripple strengths, γ, for these mirror configurations were γ = 0.073 m−1, 0.031 m−1 and 0.027 m−1, respectively, at the normalized averaged minor radius ρ = 0.07. The magnetic ripple strength is defined as γ = {〈(∂B/∂l)2/B2〉}1/2, where 〈…〉 is the flux surface averaged value and l is the length along the magnetic field line. At ρ = 0.07, the parallel flow velocity in the high mirror configuration (v∥ ∼ 4 km s−1) was 2–3 times smaller than those in the standard and reversed mirror configurations (v∥ ∼ 10–12 km s−1). An anticipated interpretation is that the difference in the neoclassical damping force contributes to the difference in v∥ among the three mirror configurations.

Approaches to multifield numerical analysis for components of the ITER core CXRS upper port plug diagnostics

The core charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (cCXRS) upper port plug diagnostic system serves to control and optimize plasma performance. The system contains a labyrinth of optical mirrors delivering the visible light from the plasma to the end spectrometers. Harsh ITER near plasma environment, resulting in high thermal fluxes and severe electromagnetic (EM) loads, dictates a necessity of a robust design for the plug components.The structural response of the plug components to combined loading coming from different sources has to be calculated and analyzed. The global ANSYS EM model featuring the reference cCXRS layout has been upgraded to be in line with the recent ITER generic upper port plug. Impact of different parameters on the plug EM loading was studied. The dynamic structural behavior of the plug (new baseline layout) under the EM forces has been analyzed. The plug lateral deflection is about 9mm and does not exceed the ITER limit of 12mm.The cooling and supporting system of the cCXRS first mirrors, located near the plasma, have to cope with significant EM loads and high heat fluxes. The engineering ‘express’ approach, that was recently effectively used to calculate the eddy currents and EM forces for the cCXRS fast shutter, has been further validated for the mirrors. The paper outlines approaches to a multifield analysis of the first mirror.

Residual carbon content in the initial ITER-Like Wall experiments at JET

The residual carbon content and carbon edge flux in JET have been assessed by three independent diagnostic techniques after start of plasma operation with the ITER-Like Wall (ILW) with beryllium first wall and tungsten divertor: (i) in-situ measurements with optical spectroscopy on low ionisation stages of carbon, (ii) charge-exchange recombination spectroscopy, and (iii) residual gas composition analysis in dedicated global gas balance experiments. Direct comparison experiments in L-mode discharges were carried out between references from the previously installed material configuration with plasma-facing components made of carbon-fibre composite (JET-CFC) and the JET-ILW. The temporal evolution of the C divertor flux since installation of the ILW has been studied in the ohmic phase of dedicated monitoring discharges which have been executed regularly throughout the experimental exploitation so far (60000 plasma seconds). The C flux behaviour in the divertor can be divided in three phases: initial fast drop, moderate reduction phase, and a long lasting phase with almost constant C flux. The Be flux in both divertor legs mirrors the behaviour of C. All experiments and diagnostic techniques demonstrate a strong reduction in C fluxes and C content of more than one order of magnitude with respect to JET-CFC which is in line with the reduction in long-term fuel retention due to co-deposition. There is no evidence of an increase in residual carbon in time, thus no indication that a damage of the thin tungsten coatings on CFC substrate in the divertor occurred.

Indirect measurement of poloidal rotation using inboard–outboard asymmetry of toroidal rotation and comparison with neoclassical predictions

An alternative experimental spectroscopic measurement of poloidal plasma rotation in toroidally confined plasmas is proven effective in the TCV tokamak. Charge exchange recombination measurements of the toroidal rotation profile over the full mid-plane plasma diameter are used to infer the complete bi-dimensional flow structure of the intrinsic C6+ impurity, which includes its poloidal component. For divergence free flows, the difference between the toroidal rotation frequency ft = ut/R at the inboard and outboard locations on the same flux surface is proportional to the poloidal rotation. This indirect measurement provides increased accuracy as the measured quantity ft,in − ft,out≈4qup/Raxis(q is the local safety factor) is larger than the intrinsic uncertainties of a direct spectroscopic measurement of poloidal velocity. The method is applied in a variety of TCV ohmic and electron cyclotron heated L-mode plasmas in the banana-plateau collisionality regime . In the radial range of normalized poloidal flux ρψ < 0.8, an impurity poloidal velocity of up = 0.5–2.5 km s−1 is observed, always in the electron diamagnetic drift direction. The measurements are compared with neoclassical calculations and they agree in magnitude and sign to within <1 km s−1.

Incompressibility of impurity flows in low density TJ-II plasmas and comparison with neoclassical theory

Poloidal and toroidal velocities of fully ionized carbon are measured by means of charge exchange recombination spectroscopy in the TJ-II stellarator. We present a detailed treatment of the 3D geometry and show that flow measurements, performed at different locations of the same flux surface, are compatible with flow incompressibility for the low density plasmas under study (line averaged electron densities ). Furthermore, comparison with neoclassical calculations shows quantitative agreement with the measured radial electric field and ion parallel mass flow in the absence of an external momentum input.

Comparison of the flows and radial electric field in the HSX stellarator to neoclassical calculations

Intrinsic flow velocities of up to ∼20 km s−1 have been measured using charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (CHERS) in the quasi-helically symmetric HSX stellarator and are compared with the neoclassical values calculated using an updated version (Lore 2010 Measurement and Transport Modeling with Momentum Conservation of an Electron Internal Transport Barrier in HSX (Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin); Lore et al 2010 Phys. Plasmas 17 056101) of the PENTA code (Spong 2005 Phys. Plasmas. 12 056114). PENTA uses the monoenergetic transport coefficients calculated by the drift kinetic equation solver code (Hirshman et al 1986 Phys. Fluids 29 2951; van Rij and Hirshman 1989 Phys. Fluids B 1 563), but corrects for momentum conservation. In the outer half of the plasma good agreement is seen between the measured parallel flow profile and the calculated neoclassical values when momentum correction is included. The flow velocity in HSX is underpredicted by an order of magnitude when this momentum correction is not applied. The parallel flow is calculated to be approximately equal for the majority hydrogen ions and the C6+ ions used for the CHERS measurements. The pressure gradient of the protons is the primary drive of the calculated parallel flow for a significant portion of the outer half of the plasma. The values of the radial electric field calculated with and without momentum correction were similar, but both were smaller than the measured values in the outer half of the plasma. Differences between the measured and predicted radial electric field are possibly a result of uncertainty in the composition of the ion population and sensitivity of the ion flux calculation to resonances in the radial electric field.

Spectroscopic problems in ITER diagnostics

Problems of spectroscopic diagnostics of ITER plasma are under consideration. Three types of diagnostics are presented: 1) Balmer lines spectroscopy in the edge and divertor plasmas; 2) Thomson scattering, 3) charge exchange recombination spectroscopy. The Zeeman-Stark structure of line shapes is discussed. The overlapping of isotopes H-D-T spectral line shapes are presented for the SOL and divertor conditions. The polarization measurements of H-alpha spectral lines for H-D mixture on T-10 tokamak are shown in order to separate Zeeman splitting in more details. The problem of plasma background radiation emission for Thomson scattering in ITER is discussed in details. The line shape of P-7 hydrogen spectral line having a wave length close to laser one is presented together with continuum radiation. The charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (CXRS) is discussed in details. The data on Dα, HeII and CVI measurements in CXRS experiments on T-10 tokamak are presented.

Profile Measurement of Ion Temperature and Toroidal Rotation Velocity with Charge Exchange Recombination Spectroscopy Diagnostics in the HL-2A Tokamak

This paper deals with the profile measurement of impurity ion temperature and toroidal rotation velocity that can be achieved by using the charge exchange recombination spectrum (CXRS) diagnostics tool built on the HL-2A tokamak. By using CXRS, an accurate impurity ion temperature and toroidal plasma rotation velocity profile can be achieved under the condition of neutral beam injection (NBI) heating. Considering the edge effect of the line of CVI 529.06 nm (n = 8∼7), which contains three lines (active exciting spectral line (ACX), passivity exciting spectral line (PCX) and electron exciting spectral line (ICE)), and using three Gaussian fitted curves, we obtain the following experimental results: the core ion temperature of HL-2A device is nearly thousands of eV, and the plasma rotation velocity reaches about 104 m · s−1. At the end of paper, some explanations are presented for the relationship between the curves and the inner physical mechanism.

High-resolution charge exchange measurements at ASDEX Upgrade

The charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (CXRS) diagnostics at ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) have been upgraded and extended to provide high-resolution measurements of impurity ion temperature, density, and rotation profiles. The existing core toroidal CXRS diagnostic has been refurbished to increase the level of signal, thus enabling shorter exposure times down to 3.5 ms. Additional lines of sight provide more detailed profiles and enable simultaneous measurements of multiple impurities. In addition, a new CXRS system has been installed, which allows for the measurement of poloidal impurity ion rotation in the plasma edge with high temporal (1.9 ms) and spatial resolution (down to 5 mm). A new wavelength correction method has been implemented to perform in situ wavelength calibrations on a shot-to-shot basis. Absolute measurements of the poloidal impurity ion rotation with uncertainties smaller than 1.5 km/s have been obtained. Comparison of all the CXRS measurements provides a consistency check of the diagnostics and good agreement has been found for all of the CXRS systems.

Alfvén eigenmode structure during off-axis neutral beam injection

The spatial structure of Alfvén eigenmodes on the DIII-D tokamak is compared for contrasting fast ion deposition profiles resulting from on- and off-axis neutral beam injection (NBI). In both cases, poloidal mode rotation and eigenmode twist, or radial phase variation, are correlated with the direction of the normal ion diamagnetic flow and readily inverted with a reversal of toroidal magnetic field, BT. While off-axis NBI results in weakly driven reversed shear induced Alfvén eigenmodes due to reduced fast ion pressure gradient, ∇βfast, in the region of the mode, these marginally unstable modes exhibit a 2D phase structure that is indistinguishable from that observed during on-axis injection. This result is consistent with recent explorations using the non-perturbative codes Gyro and TAEFL that show a weak dependence of eigenmode structure on drive when fast ion density is uniformly reduced by a scalar multiplier. These codes also obtain unstable, counter-propagating modes with the inverted 2D phase structure when BT is kept constant and the diamagnetic flow direction is reversed by making ∇βfast sufficiently positive for an isotropic population of fast ions. While measurements of the spatial profile of fast ion D-α light from the recently upgraded charge exchange recombination diagnostic on DIII-D suggest a strong modification of fast ion pressure towards this limit, no counter-propagating modes have yet been observed in experiment.

Spectral emission measurements of lithium on the lithium tokamak experiment

There has been a long-standing collaboration between ORNL and PPPL on edge and boundary layer physics. As part of this collaboration, ORNL has a large role in the instrumentation and interpretation of edge physics in the lithium tokamak experiment (LTX). In particular, a charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (CHERS) diagnostic is being designed and undergoing staged testing on LTX. Here we present results of passively measured lithium emission at 5166.89 A in LTX in anticipation of active spectroscopy measurements, which will be enabled by the installation of a neutral beam in 2013. Preliminary measurements are made in transient LTX plasmas with plasma current, I(p) < 70 kA, ohmic heating power, P(oh) ∼ 0.3 MW and discharge lifetimes of 10-15 ms. Measurements are made with a short focal length spectrometer and optics similar to the CHERS diagnostics on NSTX [R. E. Bell, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 68(2), 1273-1280 (1997)]. These preliminary measurements suggest that even without the neutral beam for active spectroscopy, there is sufficient passive lithium emission to allow for line-of-sight profile measurements of ion temperature, T(i); toroidal velocity and v(t). Results show peak T(i) = 70 eV and peak v(t) = 45 km/s were reached 10 ms into the discharge.

High-performance double-filter soft x-ray diagnostic for measurement of electron temperature structure and dynamics

A new soft x-ray (SXR) T(e) and tomography diagnostic has been developed for MST that can be used for simultaneous SXR spectrum measurement, tomographically reconstructed emissivity, and reconstructed and line-of-sight electron temperature. The diagnostic utilizes high-performance differential transimpedance amplifiers (gain 10(5)-10(9)) to provide fast time response (up to 125 kHz), allowing for the study of plasma structure dynamics. SXR double-foil T(e) measurements are consistent with Thomson scattering. SXR brightness through a variety of filter thicknesses has been combined with charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (CHERS) impurity density measurements to determine the plasma energy spectrum. Magnetic pickup from the fluctuating magnetic fields in the plasma (B̃∼20 gauss at 10-20 kHz) has been dramatically reduced by improving the detector and housing design, so that nanoampere diode currents are now measured without interference from the substantial fluctuating magnetic field incident on the plasma facing surface of the probe.

Layout and results from the initial operation of the high-resolution x-ray imaging crystal spectrometer on the Large Helical Device

First results of ion and electron temperature profile measurements from the x-ray imaging crystal spectrometer (XICS) diagnostic on the Large Helical Device (LHD) are presented. This diagnostic system has been operational since the beginning of the 2011 LHD experimental campaign and is the first application of the XICS diagnostic technique to helical plasma geometry. The XICS diagnostic provides measurements of ion and electron temperature profiles in LHD with a spatial resolution of 2 cm and a maximum time resolution of 5 ms (typically 20 ms). Ion temperature profiles from the XICS diagnostic are possible under conditions where charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (CXRS) is not possible (high density) or is perturbative to the plasma (low density or radio frequency heated plasmas). Measurements are made by using a spherically bent crystal to provide a spectrally resolved 1D image of the plasma from line integrated emission of helium-like Ar(16 +). The final hardware design and configuration are detailed along with the calibration procedures. Line-integrated ion and electron temperature measurements are presented, and the measurement accuracy is discussed. Finally central temperature measurements from the XICS system are compared to measurements from the Thomson scattering and CXRS systems, showing excellent agreement.

Method to obtain absolute impurity density profiles combining charge exchange and beam emission spectroscopy without absolute intensity calibration

Investigation of impurity transport properties in tokamak plasmas is essential and a diagnostic that can provide information on the impurity content is required. Combining charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (CXRS) and beam emission spectroscopy (BES), absolute radial profiles of impurity densities can be obtained from the CXRS and BES intensities, electron density and CXRS and BES emission rates, without requiring any absolute calibration of the spectra. The technique is demonstrated here with absolute impurity density radial profiles obtained in TEXTOR plasmas, using a high efficiency charge exchange spectrometer with high etendue, that measures the CXRS and BES spectra along the same lines-of-sight, offering an additional advantage for the determination of absolute impurity densities.

A high etendue spectrometer suitable for core charge eXchange recombination spectroscopy on ITER

A feasibility study for the use of core charge exchange recombination spectroscopy on ITER has shown that accurate measurements on the helium ash require a spectrometer with a high etendue of 1mm(2)sr to comply with the measurement requirements [S. Tugarinov et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 74, 2075 (2003)]. To this purpose such an instrument has been developed consisting of three separate wavelength channels (to measure simultaneously He/Be, C/Ne, and H/D/T together with the Doppler shifted direct emission of the diagnostic neutral beam, the beam emission (BES) signal), combining high dispersion (0.02 nm/pixel), sufficient resolution (0.2 nm), high efficiency (55%), and extended wavelength range (14 nm) at high etendue. The combined measurement of the BES along the same sightline within a third wavelength range provides the possibility for in situ calibration of the charge eXchange recombination spectroscopy signals. In addition, the option is included to use the same instrument for measurements of the fast fluctuations of the beam emission intensity up to 2 MHz, with the aim to study MHD activity.

Poloidal asymmetry of parallel rotation measured in ASDEX Upgrade

The parallel flows in the H-mode edge of ASDEX Upgrade are investigated. Beam-based charge-exchange recombination spectroscopy (CXRS) provides the toroidal and poloidal impurity flow velocities at the outboard midplane, while a deuterium-puff based CXRS measurement provides the toroidal impurity flow velocities at the inboard midplane. In order to more easily compare these measurements to fundamental boundary conditions, a basic overview of flows on a flux surface is presented. The boundary conditions are given by the continuity equation and mean that the flow velocities on a flux surface must have a specific structure in order to provide zero divergence. At first, poloidal impurity density asymmetries and radial transport are neglected. Inside of the pedestal-top of the electron density profile the measurements agree with the postulated flow structure, while they do not agree at the pedestal itself. Here, an extension of the theoretical scheme, which allows for a poloidal impurity density asymmetry, suggests that the measured flow velocities could be explained by an excess impurity density at the inboard midplane. In detail, the inboard impurity density is postulated to be at the separatrix up to a factor of 6.5 higher than impurity density at the outboard midplane. Near the pedestal-top of the electron density, this asymmetry disappears. Radial transport is considered as an explanation for that asymmetry. A conclusive disentanglement of the driving mechanisms requires further investigation.

Calibration techniques for fast-ion Dα diagnostics

Fast-ion D(α) measurements are an application of visible charge-exchange recombination (CER) spectroscopy that provide information about the energetic ion population. Like other CER diagnostics, the standard intensity calibration is obtained with an integrating sphere during a vacuum vessel opening. An alternative approach is to create plasmas where the fast-ion population is known, then calculate the expected signals with a synthetic diagnostic code. The two methods sometimes agree well but are discrepant in other cases. Different background subtraction techniques and simultaneous measurements of visible bremsstrahlung and of beam emission provide useful checks on the calibrations and calculations.

Calculation of impurity poloidal rotation from measured poloidal asymmetries in the toroidal rotation of a tokamak plasma

To improve poloidal rotation measurement capabilities on the DIII-D tokamak, new chords for the charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (CER) diagnostic have been installed. CER is a common method for measuring impurity rotation in tokamak plasmas. These new chords make measurements on the high-field side of the plasma. They are designed so that they can measure toroidal rotation without the need for the calculation of atomic physics corrections. Asymmetry between toroidal rotation on the high- and low-field sides of the plasma is used to calculate poloidal rotation. Results for the main impurity in the plasma are shown and compared with a neoclassical calculation of poloidal rotation.

Progress in characterization and modelling of the current ramp-up phase of ASDEX Upgrade discharges

Measurements of plasma core impurity ion temperature and toroidal rotation are obtained during the current ramp-up phases of plasma discharges in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak, by means of charge exchange recombination spectroscopy utilizing short neutral beam injected blips. The phenomenology of these profiles as the current is varied is presented. The observations are reported for both ohmically heated and electron cyclotron heating assisted ramps, with auxiliary heating applied both on-axis and off-axis. The evolution of global parameters is also reported. A comparison between ion and electron kinetic profiles evolution is made. Power balance analysis is performed to establish the local confinement properties and their evolution during the current ramp. Transport modelling of several cases with a theory-based model is carried out and a recipe, which involves edge-relevant parameters, is proposed to account for the transport in the outer plasma region. Finally, linear gyrokinetic calculations of dominant microinstabilities allow us to correlate the observed transport with the background turbulence regime.