ABSTRACT
Frequency swept reflectometry has reached the symbolic value of 1 µs sweeping time; this performance has been made possible, thanks to an improved control of the ramp voltage driving the frequency source. In parallel, the memory depth of the acquisition system has been upgraded and can provide up to 200 000 signals during a plasma discharge. Additional improvements regarding the trigger delay determination of the acquisition and the voltage ramp linearity required by this ultra-fast technique have been set. While this diagnostic is traditionally dedicated to the plasma electron density profile measurement, such a fast sweeping rate can provide the study of fast plasma events and turbulence with unprecedented time and radial resolution from the edge to the core. Experimental results obtained on ASDEX Upgrade plasmas are presented to demonstrate the performances of the diagnostic.
ABSTRACT
Reflectometry profile measurement requires an accurate determination of the plasma reflected signal. Along with a good resolution and a high signal to noise ratio of the phase measurement, adequate data analysis is required. A new data processing based on time-frequency tomographic representation is used. It provides a clearer separation between multiple components and improves isolation of the relevant signals. In this paper, this data processing technique is applied to two sets of signals coming from two different reflectometer devices used on the Tore Supra tokamak. For the standard density profile reflectometry, it improves the initialization process and its reliability, providing a more accurate profile determination in the far scrape-off layer with density measurements as low as 10(16) m(-1). For a second reflectometer, which provides measurements in front of a lower hybrid launcher, this method improves the separation of the relevant plasma signal from multi-reflection processes due to the proximity of the plasma.
ABSTRACT
In order to study the temporal dynamics of turbulence, the sweep time of our reflectometry has been shortened from 20 to 2 µs with 1 µs dead time. Detailed technical aspects of the upgrade are given, namely, about the stability of the ramp generation, the detection setup, and the fast acquisition module. A review of studies (velocity measurement of the turbulence, modifications of the wavenumber spectrum, radial mapping of correlation time, etc.) offered by such improvements is presented.
ABSTRACT
A new system has been installed on the JET tokamak consisting of six independent fast-sweeping reflectometers covering four bands between 44 and 150 GHz and using orthogonal polarizations. It has been designed to measure density profiles from the plasma edge to the center, launching microwaves through 40 m of oversized corrugated waveguides. It has routinely produced density profiles with a maximum repetition rate of one profile every 15 µs and up to 100,000 profiles per pulse.