Advanced Thomson scattering system for high-flux linear plasma generator.

An advanced Thomson scattering system has been built for a linear plasma generator for plasma surface interaction studies. The Thomson scattering system is based on a Nd:YAG laser operating at the second harmonic and a detection branch featuring a high etendue (f/3) transmission grating spectrometer equipped with an intensified charged coupled device camera. The system is able to measure electron density (n(e)) and temperature (T(e)) profiles close to the output of the plasma source and, at a distance of 1.25 m, just in front of a target. The detection system enables to measure 50 spatial channels of about 2 mm each, along a laser chord of 95 mm. By summing a total of 30 laser pulses (0.6 J, 10 Hz), an observational error of 3% in n(e) and 6% in T(e) (at n(e) = 9.4 × 10(18) m(-3)) can be obtained. Single pulse Thomson scattering measurements can be performed with the same accuracy for n(e) > 2.8 × 10(20) m(-3). The minimum measurable density and temperature are n(e) < 1 × 10(17) m(-3) and T(e) < 0.07 eV, respectively. In addition, using the Rayleigh peak, superimposed on the Thomson scattered spectrum, the neutral density (n(0)) of the plasma can be measured with an accuracy of 25% (at n(0) = 1 × 10(20) m(-3)). In this report, the performance of the Thomson scattering system will be shown along with unprecedented accurate Thomson-Rayleigh scattering measurements on a low-temperature argon plasma expansion into a low-pressure background.

High sensitivity imaging Thomson scattering for low temperature plasma.

A highly sensitive imaging Thomson scattering system was developed for low temperature (0.1-10 eV) plasma applications at the Pilot-PSI linear plasma generator. The essential parts of the diagnostic are a neodymium doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser operating at the second harmonic (532 nm), a laser beam line with a unique stray light suppression system and a detection branch consisting of a Littrow spectrometer equipped with an efficient detector based on a "Generation III" image intensifier combined with an intensified charged coupled device camera. The system is capable of measuring electron density and temperature profiles of a plasma column of 30 mm in diameter with a spatial resolution of 0.6 mm and an observational error of 3% in the electron density (n(e)) and 6% in the electron temperature (T(e)) at n(e) = 4 x 10(19) m(-3). This is achievable at an accumulated laser input energy of 11 J (from 30 laser pulses at 10 Hz repetition frequency). The stray light contribution is below 9 x 10(17) m(-3) in electron density equivalents by the application of a unique stray light suppression system. The amount of laser energy that is required for a n(e) and T(e) measurement is 7 x 10(20)n(e) J, which means that single shot measurements are possible for n(e)>2 x 10(21) m(-3).