CO2 laser collective Thomson scattering diagnostics on the HT-7 tokamak

A CW CO2 laser collective Thomson scattering diagnostics was developed to measure plasma density fluctuations on the HT-7 tokamak. The design and construction of CO2 laser scattering apparatus is described. The laser source is a continuous-wave CO2 laser with a cavity length of 1.9 m and a power output of about 10 W at 10.6 μm. The k-resolution of the system is △k ≈ 3.2 cm^-1. The preliminary data from the diagnostic is presented.     

Data Processing and Acquisition System for the HT-7 Multipulse Thomson Scattering Diagnostic

This article describes the data processing and acquisition system for the HT-7 multipulse Thomson scattering diagnostic. An eight-pulse laser is used in the Thomson scattering system to obtain electron temperature profiles at eight different times throughout an entire plasma discharge. The major components of the diagnostic system consist of a multipulse iNd-glass laser,a photodetector‘‘s subsystem, a calibration set and a CAMAC data processing and acquisition system. The data processing software along with LeCroy 2250L will perform the data acquisition.In order to simplify the operation and extend the capability of its compatibility with other math softwares, the processing software has been improved by the authors. The new software based on the VC easily utilizes some math softwares to calculate the electron temperature. The new software is simpler and more operational than the old one.     

Design and development of a synchronized operation control system for Thomson scattering diagnostic on J-TEXT

A Thomson scattering diagnostic system is under construction at the Joint Texas Experimental Tokamak (J-TEXT).A 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser with 50 Hz repetition rate is used as the laser source.We have used a software for careful and precise control of the laser through serial communication.A time sequence operating system has been developed to synchronize the laser control and data acquisition system with the central control system (CSS).The system operates commands from the CSS of J-TEXT and generates triggers for the laser and data acquisition system in the proper sequence.It also measures an asynchronous time value that is needed for accurate time stamping.All functions are served by a field-programmable gate array development platform that is suitable for high-speed data and signal processing applications.Several embedded peripherals,including Ethernet and USB 2.0,provide communication with the CSS and the server.     

Analysis and Performance of the Thomson Scattering Diagnostics on HT-7 Tokamak Based on I-EMCCD

A visible light imaging Thomson scattering （VIS-TVTS） diagnostic system has been developed for the measurement of plasma electron temperature on the HT-7 tokamak. The system contains a Nd：YAG laser （A = 532 nm, repetition rate 10 Hz, total pulse duration ≈ 10 ns, pulse energy 〉 1.0 J）, a grating spectrometer, an image intensifier （I.I.） lens coupled with an electron multiplying CCD （EMCCD） and a data acquisition and analysis system. In this paper, the measurement capability of the system is analyzed. In addition to the performance of the system, the capability of measuring plasma electron temperature has been proved. The profile of electron temperature is presented with a spatial resolution of about 0.96 cm （seven points） near the center of the plasma.     

Design of Amplifier Circuit for the HT-7 Tokamak Thomson Scattering System

Thomson scattering diagnostic is important for measuring electron temperature and density profiles. To improve the signal-to-noise ratio, a silicon avalanche photodiode （APD） with high quantum efficiency, high sensitivity, and high gain up to 100 was adopted to measure the Thomson scattering spectrum. A preamplifier, which has low noise, high bandwidth, and high sensitivity, was designed with suitable transimpedance. Using AD8367 as the post-amplifier, good performance of the APD readout electronics have been obtained. A discussion is presented on the performance of the amplifier using a laser diode to simulate the Thomson scattering light. The test results indicate that the designed circuit has a high amplifying factor and fast rising edge. So reduction of the integral gate of the CAMAC ADC converter can improve the signal-to-noise ratio.     

Control and data acquisition system for collinear laser spectroscopy experiments

<正>A control and data acquisition system was implemented for the recently developed collinear laser spectroscopy setup.This system is dedicated to data recording,storage,processing,monitoring of the beam intensity and energy,and visualization of various spectra.In comparison to the conventional resonance nuclear reaction system,the key technique is the precise synchronization of the detected counts with the actual scanning voltage (or probing laser frequency).The functions of the system we...     

Primary Investigation into the Laser Triggering Multi-Gap Multi-Channel Gas Switch in a Single Test Module Facility

A high precision laser trigger system is built up in the single test module of Primary Test Stand （PTS） facility. A fourth harmonic, with a wavelength A of 266 nm, Q-switched Nd：YAG laser was used to trigger the 5 MV multi-gap multi-channel gas switch which was filled with high pressure SF6-N2 mixture gas. The maximum deviation and the standard deviation in the jitter time of the trigger system is 4- 0.7 ns and 0.3 ns respectively. The maximum deviation and the standard deviation in the jitter time for the multi-gap multi-channel laser triggering switch is 4- 2.4 ns and 1.5 ns respectively. The curve of switch delay-time versus laser energy is obtained, which is helpful for the choice of fitting laser energy. The successful test with two lasers indicated that the design of using twenty-four lasers to trigger twenty-four switches respectively is feasible in ＂PTS＂.     

Recent Progress of the HL-2A Multi-Channel HCOOH Laser Interferometer/Polarimeter

A multichannel methanoic acid（HCOOH,λ= 432.5μm） laser interferometer/polarimeter is being developed from the previous eight-channel hydrogen cyanide（HCN,λ=337 μm） laser interferometer in the HL-2A tokamak.A conventional Michelson-type interometer is used for the electron density measurement,and a Dodel-Kunz-type polarimeter is used for the Faraday rotation effect measurement,respectively.Each HCOOH laser can produce a linearly polarized radiation at a power lever of ³0 mW,and a power stability <10%in 50 min.A beam waist（diameter d₀≈12.0 mm,about 200 mm away from the outlet） is finally determined through a chopping modulation technique.The latest optical layout of the interferometer/polarimeter has been finished,and the hardware data processing system based on the fast Fourier transform phasecomparator technique is being explored.In order to demonstrate the feasibility of the diagnostic scheme,two associated bench simulation experiments were carried out in the laboratory,in which the plasma was simulated by a piece of polytetrafluoroethene plate,and the Faraday rotation effect was simulated by a rotating half-wave plate.Simulation results agreed well with the initial experimental conditions.At present,the HCOOH laser interferometer/polarimeter system is being assembled on HL-2A,and is planned to be applied in the 2014-2015 experimental campaign.     

Development of an HCN dual laser for the interferometer on EAST

A two-color continuous wave(CW) discharge-pumped far-infrared(FIR) hydrogen cyanide(HCN) laser was developed as the source of an interferometer for measuring the line-averaged electron density in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak(EAST). The output power of the dual laser system was about 120 m W from each laser on the 337 μm(0.89 THz)line. The polarization of each output beam was fixed using thin tungsten filaments and oscillated in the EH11 mode. Different megahertz intermediate frequencies(IF) and a slight frequency offset(～1 MHz) were generated in this system to replace the traditional rotating grating with～10 k Hz IF, and this can improve the time resolution of the interferometer significantly. The experimental result showed that different IF signals were obtained by successfully adjusting the cavity length. In particular, the beat frequency was captured at ～1.3 MHz by a Schottky mixer when the length of the resonant cavities was changed by 5 μm by an automatic adjustment system. In order to study the character of IF, a long time record of the IF signal was carried out,and the IF signal could be stabilized for a few minutes in the range of 2 MHz to 3 MHz. A realtime IF stability control system was initially designed for long pulse discharge experiments on the EAST. The ～MHz frequency response and good phase sensitivity of the dual laser HCN interferometer will allow the system to track fast density profiles and resolve fast MHD events,such as tearing/neoclassical tearing, disruptions, etc.     

A 7 T Pulsed Magnetic Field Generator for Magnetized Laser Plasma Experiments

A pulsed magnetic field generator was developed to study the effect of a magnetic field on the evolution of a laser-generated plasma.A 40 kV pulsed power system delivered a fast(~230 ns),55 kA current pulse into a single-turn coil surrounding the laser target,using a capacitor bank of 200 nF,a laser-triggered switch and a low-impedance strip transmission line.A one-dimensional uniform 7 T pulsed magnetic field was created using a Helmholtz coil pair with a 6 mm diameter.The pulsed magnetic field was controlled to take effect synchronously with a nanosecond heating laser beam,a femtosecond probing laser beam and an optical Intensified Charge Coupled Device(ICCD) detector.The preliminary experiments demonstrate bifurcation and focusing of plasma expansion in a transverse magnetic field.     

A method of laser focusing control in microlaser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

This paper presents a method for the automatic adjustment of the laser defocusing amount in micro-laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. A microscopic optical imaging system consisting of a CCD camera and a 20× objective lens was adopted to realize the method. The real-time auto-focusing of the system was achieved by detecting the effective pixels of the light spot generated by the laser pointer. The focusing accuracy of the method could achieve 3 μm. The element concentrations of Mn and Ni in low-alloy steels were analyzed at a crater diameter of about 35 μm using the presented method. After using the presented method, the determination coefficients of Mn and Ni both exceeded 0.997, with the root-mean-square errors being 0.0133 and 0.0395, respectively. Scanning analysis was performed on the inclined plane and the curved surface by means of focusing control and non-focusing control. Ten characteristic spectral lines of Fe were selected as the analysis lines. With the focusing control, the average relative standard deviations obtained on the inclined plane and curved surface were both less than 5%, and much less than the values without focusing control, 14.6% and 40.39%.     

HT-7 Multipoint Nd Laser Thomson Scattering Apparatus

1. IlltroductionThomson scattering diagnostic has been an important and standard method for measuring temperature and density profiles on all modern toka-maks, such as the TV Thotnson Scattering systemon TFTR [1], the LIDAR system on JET [2] and theNd:YAG laser Thomson scattering system on Dlll--D[3]. It has the attractive characteristics of not per-turbillg the plasma to be investigated and of derivingthe absolute values of electronic temperature Ti anddensity ne' From the knot'.led…     

Damage Characteristics of the Logical Chip Module Due to Plasma Created by Hypervelocity Impacts

To researching the damage characteristics of typical logical chip modules in spacecraft due to plasma generated by hypervelocity impacts,we have established a triple Langmuir probe diagnostic system and a logical chips measurement system,which were used to diagnose plasma characteristic parameters and the logical chip module’s logical state changes due to the plasma created by a 7075 aluminum projectile hypervelocity impact on the 2A12 aluminum target.Three sets of experiments were performed with the collision speeds of 2.85 km/s,3.1 km/s and2.20 km/s,at the same incident angles of 30 degrees and logical chip module’s positions by using a two-stage light gas gun loading system,a plasma characteristic parameters diagnostic system and a logical chip module’s logical state measurement system,respectively.Electron temperature and density were measured at given position and azimuth,and damage estimation was performed for the logical chip module by using the data acquisition system.Experimental results showed that temporary damage could be induced on logical chip modules in spacecraft by plasma generated by hypervelocity impacts under the given experimental conditions and the sensors’ position and azimuth.     

Spatial Resolution Measurements of C,Si and Mo Using LIBS for Diagnostics of Plasma Facing Materials in a Fusion Device

Recently,a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopic(LIBS) system has been developed for in situ measurements of the chemical compositions of plasma facing materials(PFMs)in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak(EAST).In this study,a LIBS system,which was used in a similar optical configuration to the in situ LIBS system in EAST,has been developed to investigate the spatial distribution of PFM elements at 1CP4 Pa.The aim of this study was to understand the nature of the spatial distribution of atoms or ions of different elements in the plasma plume and optimize the signal to background ratio for the in situ LIBS diagnosis in EAST.The spatial profiles of the LIBS signals of C,Si,Mo and the continuous background were measured.Moreover,the influence of laser spot size and laser energy density on the LIBS signals of C,Si,Mo and H was also investigated.The results show that the distribution of the C,Si and Mo peaks' intensities first increased and then decreased from the center to the edge of the plasma plume.There was a maximum value at R≈1.5 mm from the center of the plasma plume.This work aims to improve the understanding of ablating plasma dynamics in very low pressure environments and give guidance to optimize the LIBS system in the EAST device.     

Imaging System and Plasma Imaging on HL-2A Tokamak

As a new diagnostic means, plasma-imaging system has been developed on the HL-2A tokamak, with a basic understanding of plasma discharge scenario of the entire torus, checking the plasma position and the clearance between the plasma and the first wall during discharge. The plasma imaging system consists of (1) color video camera, (2) observation window and turn mirror, (3) viewing & collecting optics, (4) video cable, (5) Video capture card as well as PC. This paper mainly describes the experimental arrangement, plasma imaging system and detailed part in the system, along with the experimental results. Real-time monitoring of plasma discharge process, particularly distinguishing limitor and divertor configuration, the imaging system has become key diagnostic means and laid the foundation for further physical experiment on the HL-2A tokamak.     

Implementation of Automatic Process of Edge Rotation Diagnostic System on J-TEXT Tokamak

A spectral diagnostic control system （SDCS） is developed to implement automatic process of the edge rotation diagnostic system on the J-TEXT tokamak. The SDCS contains a control module, data operation module, data analysis module, and data upload module. The core of this system is a newly developed software ＂Spectra Assist＂, which completes the whole process by coupling all related subroutines and servers. The results of data correction and calculated rotation are presented. In the daily discharge of J-TEXT, SDCS is proved to have a stable performance and high efficiency in completing the process of data acquisition, operation and results output.     

Study of Dynamic Features of Surface Plasma in High-Power Disk Laser Welding

High-speed photography was used to obtain the dynamic changes in the surface plasma during a high-power disk laser welding process.A color space clustering algorithm to extract the edge information of the surface plasma region was developed in order to improve the accuracy of image processing.With a comparative analysis of the plasma features,i.e.,area and height,and the characteristics of the welded seam,the relationship between the surface plasma and the stability of the laser welding process was characterized,which provides a basic understanding for the real-time monitoring of laser welding.     

Commissioning of a high-resolution collinear laser spectroscopy apparatus with a laser ablation ion source

Collinear laser spectroscopy is a powerful tool for studying the nuclear spins,electromagnetic moments,and charge radii of exotic nuclei.To study the nuclear properties of unstable nuclei at the Beijing Radioactive Ion-beam Facility （BRIF） and the future High Intensity Heavy-ion Accelerator Facility （HIAF）,we developed a collinear laser spectroscopy apparatus integrated with an offline laser ablation ion source and a laser system.The overall performance of this state-of-the-art technique was eva...     

Continued Study on Hohlraum Radiation Source with Approximately Constant Radiation Temperature

An experiment was performed on the Shenguang III prototype laser facility to continue the study on hohlraum radiation source with approximately constant radiation temperature using a continuously shaped laser pulse.A radiation source with a flattop temperature of about130 e V that lasted about 5 ns was obtained.The previous analytical iteration method based on power balance and self-similar solution of ablation was modified taking into account the plasma movements and it was used to design the laser pulse shape for experiment.A comparison between experimental results and simulation is presented and better agreement was achieved using the modified method.Further improvements are discussed.