Compact Neutral Particle Analyzer Research Articles

Installation of a solid state neutral particle analyzer array on mega ampere spherical tokamak upgrade.

A compact solid state neutral particle analyzer (SSNPA) diagnostic, previously installed at NSTX-U, has been moved to MAST-U and successfully operated in the first physics campaign (MU01). The SSNPA operates by detecting the flux of fast neutral particles produced by charge exchange (CX) reactions to diagnose the fast ion distribution. The diagnostic consists of three 16-channel sensors, which provide a radial view of the plasma and have a sightline intersection with the South-South neutral beam line. From this radial geometry, active CX signals from mostly trapped particles are observed. Each channel has a spatial resolution of 3-4cm, a temporal resolution of 200kHz, and an average pitch angle resolution of a few degrees. The three-sensor configuration allows for coarse energy resolution of the CX signals; each sensor sees similar sightlines but different filter thicknesses alter the energy cutoffs by known amounts. Experimental data show that all channels are collecting data as intended. The signal to noise ratio is typically around 15. Preliminary data analysis shows a correlation between the SSNPA signal and magnetohydrodynamic activity in the plasma as expected.

Measurements of D/H Ratio Using Compact Neutral Particle Analyzer in LHD Deuterium Experiments

The deuterium/hydrogen ratio in the plasma strongly affects against the plasma heating and other behaviors. The ratio in high energy region is measured by the charge exchange neutral particle analyzer instead of the spectroscopic technique. The ratio has obtained by reducing the electrostatic plate voltage in the compact neutral particle analyzer, which is tuned for hydrogen measurement. When the voltage is adjusted for deuterium, hydrogen simultaneously enters as contamination because the hydrogen orbit is closed to the mid-plane. Here, the mass rejection factor has been evaluated and the time variation of the ratio in the low and high energy regions during hydrogen and deuterium neutral beam injection is described. The behavior of the ratio in high and low energy regions can be explained by the classical slowing down process of the energetic particle.

Reduction of the Neutron Induced Noise in the Compact Neutral Particle Analyzer for LHD Deuterium Plasma Experiments

Reduction of the Neutron Induced Noise in the Compact Neutral Particle Analyzer for LHD Deuterium Plasma Experiments

Use of a Compact Neutral Particle Analyzer for Studying Thermal and Suprathermal Ions in Plasma Discharges with Neutral Beam Injection

A compact neutral particle analyzer that has been modified for studying thermal and suprathermal ions in neutral-beam heated plasma is described. Results of the analyzer calibration performed using an atomic beam are presented. The possibility of adjusting the analyzer channel energies by varying the voltage applied to the acceleration module of the analyzer is tested. The measured ion temperatures and suprathermal-ion spectra are presented for discharges with the neutral beam injection at the TUMAN-3M tokamak.

Neutronics Analyses for Shield Upgrading of the Compact Neutral Particle Analyzer for LHD Deuterium Plasma Experiments

Neutronics Analyses for Shield Upgrading of the Compact Neutral Particle Analyzer for LHD Deuterium Plasma Experiments

Development and verification of a novel scintillator-based, imaging neutral particle analyzer in DIII-D tokamak

A compact scintillator-based imaging neutral particle analyzer (INPA) that provides energy and radially resolved measurements of confined fast ions has been designed and built in the DIII-D tokamak. The system measures charge-exchanged energetic neutrals by viewing an active neutral beam source through a 1D pinhole camera with a rear collimating slit that defines the neutral particle collection sightline and radial positions probed in the plasma. The incident neutrals are ionized by ultra-thin carbon stripping foils of 10 nm thickness with the local tokamak magnetic field acting as a magnetic spectrometer to disperse the ions onto a scintillator. The strike position on the phosphor is determined by the fast ion energy and sightline while the intensity of emitted light from the phosphor is proportional to the ion flux. Fast camera measurements of the scintillator provide 2D images of the escaping neutrals mapped to energy and radial position in the plasma. The INPA system images a broad radial range from the plasma core to edge and deuterium energies up to 80 keV, with energy resolution of ∼7.5 keV and pitch angle resolution of ∼5°. The first data obtained from the INPA demonstrates that the system has excellent signal to noise ratio and provides unprecedented details of phase space dynamics.

Compact and multi-view solid state neutral particle analyzer arrays on National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade.

A compact and multi-view solid state neutral particle analyzer (SSNPA) diagnostic based on silicon photodiode arrays has been successfully tested on the National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade. The SSNPA diagnostic provides spatially, temporally, and pitch-angle resolved measurements of fast-ion distribution by detecting fast neutral flux resulting from the charge exchange (CX) reactions. The system consists of three 16-channel subsystems: t-SSNPA viewing the plasma mid-radius and neutral beam (NB) line #2 tangentially, r-SSNPA viewing the plasma core and NB line #1 radially, and p-SSNPA with no intersection with any NB lines. Due to the setup geometry, the active CX signals of t-SSNPA and r-SSNPA are mainly sensitive to passing and trapped particles, respectively. In addition, both t-SSNPA and r-SSNPA utilize three vertically stacked arrays with different filter thicknesses to obtain coarse energy information. The experimental data show that all channels are operational. The signal to noise ratio is typically larger than 10, and the main noise is x-ray induced signal. The active and passive CX signals are clearly observed on t-SSNPA and r-SSNPA during NB modulation. The SSNPA data also indicate significant losses of passing particles during sawteeth, while trapped particles are weakly affected. Fluctuations up to 120 kHz have been observed on SSNPA, and they are strongly correlated with magnetohydrodynamics instabilities.

Design of a retarding potential grid system for a neutral particle analyzer.

The ion energy distribution in a magnetically confined plasma can be inferred from charge exchange neutral particles. On the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST), deuterium neutrals are measured by the Florida A&M University compact neutral particle analyzer (CNPA) and the advanced neutral particle analyzer (ANPA). The CNPA energy range covers the bulk deuterium ions to the beginning of the fast ion tail (0.34-5.2 keV) with high-energy resolution (25 channels) while the ANPA covers the vast majority of the fast ion tail distribution (∼10-45 keV) with low energy resolution (10 channels). Though the ANPA has provided insight into fast ion energization in MST plasma, more can be gained by increasing the energy resolution in that energy range. To utilize the energy resolution of the CNPA, fast ions can be retarded by an electric potential well, enabling their detection by the diagnostic. The ion energy distribution can be measured with arbitrary resolution by combining data from many similar MST discharges with different energy ranges on the CNPA, providing further insight into ion energization and fast ion dynamics on MST.

Low energy ion distribution measurements in Madison Symmetric Torus plasmas

Charge-exchange neutrals contain information about the contents of a plasma and can be detected as they escape confinement. The Florida A&M University compact neutral particle analyzer (CNPA), used to measure the contents of neutral particle flux, has been reconfigured, calibrated, and installed on the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) for high temperature deuterium plasmas. The energy range of the CNPA has been extended to cover 0.34–5.2 keV through an upgrade of the 25 detection channels. The CNPA has been used on all types of MST plasmas at a rate of 20 kHz throughout the entire discharge (∼70 ms). Plasma parameter scans show that the ion distribution is most dependent on the plasma current. Magnetic reconnection events throughout these scans produce stronger poloidal electric fields, stronger global magnetic modes, and larger changes in magnetic energy all of which heavily influence the non-Maxwellian part of the ion distribution (the fast ion tail).

An initial measurement of a fast neutral spectrum for ion cyclotron range of frequency heated plasma using two-channel compact neutral particle analyzers in KSTAR

The accurate measurement of fast neutral particles from high energy ion tails is very important since it is a measure of ion cyclotron range of frequency (ICRF) or neutral beam (NB) ion heating. In KSTAR, fast neutral measurements have been carried out using a compact neutral particle analyzer based on the silicon photo diode since 2010. As a result, the fast neutral spectrum was observed consistent with the ion temperature, diamagnetic energy, and neutron flux in 2011. However, there was fast neutral count beyond the injected neutral beam energy in NB-only heating. Since it is difficult to expect the count unless the temperature is high enough to diffuse the fast ions beyond the beam energy it was required to identify what it is. During the 2012 campaign, the two-channel diode detectors with and without a particle stopper were used to distinguish fast neutral counts and other counts by a hard X-ray or neutrons. As a result, it was confirmed that the high energy component beyond the beam energy originated from a hard X-ray or neutrons. Finally, it was observed that faster neutrals are generated by ICRF heating and enhanced by electron cyclotron heating compared to NB-only heating.

Studies of the fast ion energy spectra in TJ-II

The dynamics of the neutral beam injection fast ions in the TJ-II stellarator is studied in this paper from both the theoretical and experimental points of view. The code Integrator of Stochastic Differential Equations for Plasmas (ISDEP) is used to estimate the fast ion distribution function in 3D:1D in real space and 2D in velocity space, considering the 3D structure of TJ-II, the electrostatic potential, non turbulent collisional transport, and charge exchange losses. The results of ISDEP are compared with the experimental data from the compact neutral particle analyzer, which measures the outgoing neutral flux spectra in the energy range E∈(1−45) keV⁠.

Compact solid-state neutral particle analyzer in current mode

Solid state neutral particle analyzer (ssNPA) arrays are operated in current mode on the DIII-D tokamak and the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX). Compared with conventional pulse-counting NPAs, current-mode operation sacrifices energy resolution to obtain economical, high-bandwidth, pitch-angle resolved measurements. With the success from a new three-channel near-vertical-view current mode ssNPA on DIII-D, the apertures on an existing array on NSTX were expanded to increase the particle influx. The sightlines of both arrays intersect heating beams, enabling both active and passive charge exchange measurements. The spatial resolution at beam intersection is typically 5 cm on both devices. Directly deposited ultra-thin foils on the detector surface block stray photons below the energy of 1 keV and also set low energy threshold about 25 keV for deuterium particle detection. Oscillations in neutral flux produced by high frequency magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) instabilities are readily detected.

Improved Pellet Charge Exchange Measurements in Large Helical Device

The pellet charge exchange technique (PCX), which is a combination of the compact neutral particle analyzer and an impurity pellet, is a unique method to observe the radial energetic particle distribution. There are not only charge exchange reactions between the hydrogen in the pellet and a proton, but also between the partially ionized carbon in the pellet and the proton. The neutralization factor from energetic ion to neutral particle could be deduced from the electron temperature and the electron density of the pellet cloud. The radial profiles of energetic particle distribution were measured and compared in various ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICH) plasmas. The energetic particle flux significantly increased at the resonance layer created by the ICH. PCX provides more precise information about the resonance layer than conventional neutral particle diagnostics.

Effect of Incident Energy and Foil Thickness on Foil Stripping and Scattering Efficiency in Charge Exchange Analyzer Detector

Compact neutral particle analyzer (CNPA) is used to measure ion temperature in tokamaks. Calculating of stripping efficiency and scattering efficiency are most important parameters affecting on CNPA performance. We studied the dependent of these parameters with the thickness of carbon foil and incident energy of neutral hydrogen atoms. In low carbon foil thickness variation of the carbon foil stripping efficiency (ηi) and scattering efficiency of the ions (ηsc) with incident energy is very salient. For foil thickness between 200 and 600 angestrom, scattering efficiency of the chamber will be smaller than 0.11.

Design and calibration of a neutral particle analyzer for the KSTAR

Detection of high energy particles is one of the critical issue at fusion plasmas. A single channel compact neutral particle analyzer based on small Si-diode detectors is developed to measure energetic hydrogen minority ions from ion cyclotron heating with energies between 50 and 300 keV. The diagnostic employs the integrated pre-amplifier, shaping amplifier and multi channel analyzer. The basic performance of the detector is checked by using gamma sources of Am-241 and Ba-133. In this paper, design feature and calibration results of a neutral particle analyzer are described.

Pellet charge exchange helium measurement using neutral particle analyzer in large helical device

It is very important to investigate the confinement of alpha particles, which will be produced by nuclear reactions in ITER and fusion reactors. The pellet charge exchange (PCX) measurement is one of the most powerful methods because it can directly provide the profile of the alpha particle energy spectra in a plasma. In the large helical device, PCX using tracer encapsulated solid pellet (TESPEL) has been tried in many hydrogen and helium plasmas, including helium accelerated by using the cyclotron resonance heating. In the PCX, we use the compact neutral particle analyzer without simultaneous mass separation ability. The helium particle measurement can be achieved by the application of voltage in the condenser plate. The scattering of hydrogen particle is carefully considered during the estimation of the helium amount. The radial helium profiles can also be obtained by comparing four TESPEL injection shots with/without higher harmonic fast wave heating and at applied plate voltages for He or H, respectively.

Helium Ion Observation during 3rd Harmonic Ion Cyclotron Heating in Large Helical Device

In higher harmonic ion cyclotron resonance heating using the fast wave, a helium resonance layer appears near the plasma core. It is very important to detect the helium ions to investigate the confinement of α particles, which are produced by a nuclear reaction in ITER or a fusion reactor. In Large Helical Device (LHD), we attempt to observe the charge-exchange helium particles using a compact neutral particle analyzer (CNPA). Helium acceleration below 5 keV can be confirmed by comparing the signal ratio of helium in adjusted plate voltages of the CNPA to that of hydrogen. Successful helium measurement in LHD will lead to the development of α particle measurement.

Experimental and numerical characterization of ion-cyclotron heated protons on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak

Energetic minority protons with ∼100 keV effective temperature are routinely created in Alcator C-Mod plasmas with the application of ion-cyclotron-range-of-frequency (ICRF) heating. A multichannel compact neutral particle analyzer (CNPA) is used to make measurements of these distributions in Alcator C-Mod's unique and reactor-relevant operating space via active and passive charge-exchange techniques. A radially injected 50 keV diagnostic hydrogen neutral beam is used for active analysis. Using a detailed model that accounts for beam, halo and impurity electron donors, core proton temperatures of ∼30–120 keV are directly measured for the first time in lower density (ne0 ∼ (0.8–1.5) × 1020 m−3) Alcator C-Mod plasmas with up to only ∼0.5 MW of ICRF power. The model found that the minority proton temperatures are peaked spatially away from r/a = 0, even for an on-axis resonance. Additionally, noticeable phase-space anisotropy is seen as expected for ICRF heating. The measured effective temperatures also scale approximately with the Stix parameter. The CNPA temperature measurements are compared with several leading simulation packages such as the TORIC/FPPRF and AORSA/CQL3D full-wave/Fokker–Planck (FW/FP) solvers. Preliminary comparisons with the AORSA/CQL3D code which include results from a new synthetic diagnostic show good agreement and demonstrate that accurate tracking of the minority distribution during iterations of the FW and FP solvers is required to simulate Alcator C-Mod's energetic minority populations with accuracy. Physically, poor wave focusing and preferential heating of trapped energetic protons are found to move the fast proton temperature profiles off-axis. These FW/FP analyses represent the first comparison between predictions of these detailed codes and core minority tail experimental measurements on Alcator C-Mod.

Local pellet based and line-integrated nonperturbing charge exchange measurements with a compact neutral particle analyzer on Large Helical Device

Experiments on suprathermal ion physics are carried out on the Large Helical Device (LHD) with a 40 channel compact neutral particle analyzer (CNPA). The analyzer is used both in passive nonperturbing chord-integral neutral particle flux measurements and for local probing with an impurity pellet. The analyzer observes trapped particles with ∣v‖∕v∣<0.25 and the pitch angle cosine value v‖∕v changes sign along the diagnostic sight line. The measurable energy range for H0 is 1–170keV. Radially resolved data on local H0 atomic energy spectra have been obtained on LHD by the pellet charge exchange method with CNPA, as well as chord-integral atomic energy distribution data for electron cyclotron heated, neutral beam injected, and high power ion cyclotron heated plasma. The article addresses the diagnostic technical background and the analysis scheme of measurement results taking into account the helical geometry and the species and densities of the charge exchange targets.

Compact multichannel neutral particle analyzer for measurement of energetic charge-exchanged neutrals in Alcator C-Mod

A four-channel compact neutral particle analyzer (CNPA) based on operating small Si diode detectors in pulse-height analysis (PHA) mode is used to measure energetic hydrogen minority ions with energies between ∼50 and 350keV stemming from ion-cyclotron range-of-frequency heated D(H) Alcator C-Mod plasmas with both active and passive charge exchange (CX). First core minority ion distribution results from Alcator C-Mod discharges and a detailed description of the diagnostic are presented. The diagnostic employs integrated electronics and fast digitization of the shaping amplifier voltage. The digitized data are stored for postshot PHA, which removes the constraints of real-time PHA and allows for improved performance via elimination of base line shift effects and potentially relieving pileup through Gaussian fitting routines. The CNPA is insensitive to the large gamma and neutron background in Alcator C-Mod discharges but is susceptible to the plasma’s soft x-ray flux. The soft x-ray flux limits the CNPA energy resolution to ∼15–20keV. A simple model is used to interpret the active CNPA data which permits rapid estimates of the core hydrogen minority temperatures and anisotropy with a time resolution of ∼100ms. Hydrogenlike boron is identified as an important electron donor for the CX signal.