A fast time-response bolometer for soft X-ray radiation energy measurements in a high-current Z-pinch

A high-sensitivity bolometer with a short time response to heating with external radiation has been developed. It is intended for measuring the integral parameters of soft X-ray radiation of liner plasma. The bolometer is adapted to the conditions of explosion experiments with an increased level of electromagnetic pickups at facilities that are based on magnetic-explosion generators with megaampere currents. The bolometer has a metal casing for improving the noise immunity of measurements. A 2-μm-thick nickel foil is used as the material for the resistive element of the working substance of the bolometer. The choice of the material and the geometrical dimensions of the bolometer working elements were analyzed. The ultimate thermal load on the bolometer was determined. A technique for calibrating the working elements using a pulse current was developed. The working capacity, good noise immunity, and a high sensitivity of the bolometer were demonstrated in experiments. The dynamic range in measurements of the surface energy density of X rays is 0.03–0.3 J/cm².     

A radiation foil bolometer for measuring the energy losses of fast Z-pinches

A radiation foil bolometer intended for measuring radiation-energy fluxes and plasma flows in high-power pulsed plasma X-ray sources is studied. In the bolometer, the radiation or ion-flow energy is absorbed by a 13-μm-thick niobium foil preliminarily heated to T ≈ 1900 K by a quasi-constant current lasting 2 s. Radiation from the foil was fed through an 8-m-long light guide to a semiconductor photodetector. The sensitivity of the instrument obtained from the results of calibrations is 0.56 J/V cm². The time resolution of this technique (∼2.5 μs) is determined by the foil heating time. In experiments with megaampere Z-pinches, the time resolution attained allows detection of the radiation energy independently of the energy of expanding plasma flows. In this case, the photoelectric effect from X-rays and the conductivity of expanding plasma do not affect the operation of the radiation bolometer. The working capacity of the bolometer was demonstrated at the Angara-5-1 facility in experiments with high-current Z-pinches with a radiation output energy of 50–100 kJ/pulse. The measurements performed have shown that the energy flux density of plasma expanding in the direction perpendicular to the pinch axis is at most 5% of the energy flux density of soft X-rays.     

Generation of high charge state metal ion beams by electron cyclotron resonance heating of vacuum arc plasma in cusp trap

A method for generating high charge state heavy metal ion beams based on high power microwave heating of vacuum arc plasma confined in a magnetic trap under electron cyclotron resonance conditions has been developed. A feature of the work described here is the use of a cusp magnetic field with inherent "minimum-B" structure as the confinement geometry, as opposed to a simple mirror device as we have reported on previously. The cusp configuration has been successfully used for microwave heating of gas discharge plasma and extraction from the plasma of highly charged, high current, gaseous ion beams. Now we use the trap for heavy metal ion beam generation. Two different approaches were used for injecting the vacuum arc metal plasma into the trap--axial injection from a miniature arc source located on-axis near the microwave window, and radial injection from sources mounted radially at the midplane of the trap. Here, we describe preliminary results of heating vacuum arc plasma in a cusp magnetic trap by pulsed (400 μs) high power (up to 100 kW) microwave radiation at 37.5 GHz for the generation of highly charged heavy metal ion beams.     

Overview of diagnostic system in the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak

The first plasma was achieved in the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST) on September 26, 2006. Single-and double-null diverter plasma discharges were also achieved successfully in the EAST in January 2007. The plasma diagnostics for the first EAST plasma study have been developed as follows: a vertical one-channel far-infrared hydrogen cyanide (HCN) laser interferometer for measuring the line average density, a ten-channel soft X-ray array for intensity measurement, a 16-channel heterodyne electric cyclotron emission for measuring the profile of the electron temperature, an eight channel XUV bolometer array to measure plasma radiation losses, a three-channel hard X-ray array for intensity measurement, an electromagnetic measurement system, a 35-channel H _α radiation array, 20 triple probes for diverter plasma, a one-channel visible bremsstrahlung emission, an impurity optical spectrum measurement system, and two optical spectroscopic multichannel analyzers. The first experimental results of the diagnostic system and the plan of what is to come are summarized in this paper. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Fast, large-signal, free-standing foil bolometer for measuring ultrasoft x-ray burst fluence

A fast ( approximately 300 ns), large-signal ( greater, similar1 V), free-standing foil bolometer was developed for measuring ultrasoft x-ray burst fluences. The results of bolometer measurements of the radiation output of an imploding foil liner plasma indicate yields of several tens of kJ, assuming isotropic emission. This is in substantial agreement with filtered metal photocathode (x-ray diode) measurements. The bolometer design, response function, and comparison with x-ray photodiode data are discussed. This type of bolometer is particularly applicable to radiation measurements of high-energy, destructive pulsed plasmas such as high-energy imploding liner plasmas.     

双色激光场下太赫兹辐射能量的调控研究

提升太赫兹(THz)脉冲产生能量一直是近些年超快光学的研究热点之一。基于双色激光在空气中拉丝产生THz波的数值模型,在隧穿电离范围内,详细分析了双色激光场产生THz波的最佳参数组合以及其产生变化的物理机理,用于得到最强的THz波辐射能量。双色激光场组合的电场具有不对称性,其引起的快速振荡有利于电子的加速过程,进而产生更大电子数密度以及在沿拉丝距离形成了更强的累积净电流。当电子密度和净电流增加时,使得单点THz辐射更强,拉丝各点辐射的THz波相干叠加,于是在远场得到了更强的THz波能量。这些研究结果为不同激光产生条件下增强THz波辐射能量提供了详尽的参数分析及理论依据,重点研究了不同寻常波长组合及不同相对相位对激光拉丝产生太赫兹波的影响,对后续大幅增强THz辐射效率具有重要意义。     

Subcutoff microwave driven plasma ion sources for multielemental focused ion beam systems

A compact microwave driven plasma ion source for focused ion beam applications has been developed. Several gas species have been experimented including argon, krypton, and hydrogen. The plasma, confined by a minimum B multicusp magnetic field, has good radial and axial uniformity. The octupole multicusp configuration shows a superior performance in terms of plasma density (~1.3 x 10(11) cm(-3)) and electron temperature (7-15 eV) at a power density of 5-10 Wcm(2). Ion current densities ranging from a few hundreds to over 1000 mA/cm(2) have been obtained with different plasma electrode apertures. The ion source will be combined with electrostatic Einzel lenses and should be capable of producing multielemental focused ion beams for nanostructuring and implantations. The initial simulation results for the focused beams have been presented.     

An ECRH control and data acquisition system on the gas dynamic trap

A control system for the electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) complex installed on a gas dynamic trap (GDT) facility is described. The ECRH complex is based on two gyrotrons operating at a radiation frequency of 54.5 GHz with a total power of 0.9 MW and is intended for additional heating of the electron plasma component. The general structure of the complex is presented, and the requirements for control signals and parameter-measurement channels are considered. The control-system algorithm and the operator interface are realized using LabView 2010 for Linux. The required set of measurement and control channels is formed using programmable controllers. The developed system is presently used in experiments on microwave heating of plasma in the GDT facility.     

双色激光产生太赫兹辐射的调控机理研究

采用双色激光在气体介质中诱导产生太赫兹波的数值模拟方法,深入分析了各种激光参数对双色激光场产生太赫兹波的影响,目的是优化参数以实现太赫兹波辐射能量的最大化。模拟计算表明,双色激光的波长、相对相位、激光脉冲宽度等对瞬态电流和太赫兹能量都有调控作用,并且具有不同的规律性。此外,还通过分析激光电场、电子密度、光电流等相关因素,对双色激光场产生太赫兹波的物理机理进行了解释。该研究为在不同激光激发条件下提高太赫兹波辐射强度,提供了详尽的参数优化分析和理论支持,对后续大幅增强太赫兹辐射效率具有重要意义。     

Simulations of slow positron production using a low-energy electron accelerator

Monte Carlo simulations of slow positron production via energetic electron interaction with a solid target have been performed. The aim of the simulations was to determine the expected slow positron beam intensity from a low-energy, high-current electron accelerator. By simulating (a) the fast positron production from a tantalum electron-positron converter and (b) the positron depth deposition profile in a tungsten moderator, the slow positron production probability per incident electron was estimated. Normalizing the calculated result to the measured slow positron yield at the present AIST linear accelerator, the expected slow positron yield as a function of energy was determined. For an electron beam energy of 5 MeV (10 MeV) and current 240 μA (30 μA), production of a slow positron beam of intensity 5 × 10(6) s(-1) is predicted. The simulation also calculates the average energy deposited in the converter per electron, allowing an estimate of the beam heating at a given electron energy and current. For low-energy, high-current operation the maximum obtainable positron beam intensity will be limited by this beam heating.     

The rotating wall machine: a device to study ideal and resistive magnetohydrodynamic stability under variable boundary conditions

The rotating wall machine, a basic plasma physics experimental facility, has been constructed to study the role of electromagnetic boundary conditions on current-driven ideal and resistive magnetohydrodynamic instabilities, including differentially rotating conducting walls. The device, a screw pinch magnetic geometry with line-tied ends, is described. The plasma is generated by an array of 19 plasma guns that not only produce high density plasmas but can also be independently biased to allow spatial and temporal control of the current profile. The design and mechanical performance of the rotating wall as well as diagnostic capabilities and internal probes are discussed. Measurements from typical quiescent discharges show the plasma to be high β (≤p>2μ(0)/B(z)(2)), flowing, and well collimated. Internal probe measurements show that the plasma current profile can be controlled by the plasma gun array.     

Design of far-infrared three-wave polarimeter-interferometer system for the J-TEXT tokamak

A multichannel three-wave far-infrared polarimeter-interferometer will be constructed on the J-TEXT tokamak (R=1.05?m, a=0.27?m, B(T)≤3?T, and I(P)≤350?kA) for current density profile and electron density profile measurements. The system will adopt the three-wave polarimeter configuration which was first introduced on RTP. Three 432.5?μm HCOOH lasers pumped by three CO(2) lasers separately will be adopted, which could generate high output power, nearly 50 mW at each cavity. Two of them will be counter-rotating circularly polarized to probe the Faraday angle, while the third laser will be used as a local oscillator to get the phase shift caused by electron density. Excellent port access (600×76?mm(2)) and high laser power would promise a profile measurement across the whole plasma section with good signal quality. A high-speed digital phase comparator with a few (～2)?μs temporal resolution will be developed, so that fast changes of current or density profile could be measured. Six channels will be installed in the first stage.     

A Radiometer for Plasma Diagnostics in a Magnetic Mirror GDT

A radiometer developed at Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics (Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences) for diagnostics of the efficiency of the electron cyclotron plasma heating in a mirror magnetic trap (GDT) is discussed. The radiometer is based on the superheterodyne principle. The characteristics of the instrument such as the operating range, sensitivity, frequency and time resolution are adapted to the requirements of the experiments. The receiver is equipped with a system for protection against stray radiation from powerful gyrotrons that are used in the electron cyclotron heating experiments. The radiometric measurements of the plasma self-emission carried out at the GDT facility showed that the new information channel helps to interpret the processes of resonant microwave plasma heating more accurately.     

A bolometer with thermal feedback: Testing of a prototype on the T-11M facility

A prototype of a bolometer with a deep thermal feedback (TF) is described. It allows stabilization of the temperature of an absorbing film at a level of 700–800°C by the control of its thermal radiation. The prototype was tested on a light-ion accelerator and a T-11M tokamak. The results obtained confirm the possibility of practically realize such advantages of the TF bolometer over conventional devices as a fast response, direct measurement of the incident power, improved stability, and a reduced influence of the drift of the intrinsic parameters of the sensor. The questions of the selection of optimal structural parameters of such bolometers and calculation of their threshold characteristics are considered.     

Characterization of near-terahertz complementary metal-oxide semiconductor circuits using a Fourier-transform interferometer

Optical methods for measuring of the emission spectra of oscillator circuits operating in the 400-600 GHz range are described. The emitted power from patch antennas included in the circuits is measured by placing the circuit in the source chamber of a Fourier-transform interferometric spectrometer. The results show that this optical technique is useful for measuring circuits pushing the frontier in operating frequency. The technique also allows the characterization of the circuit by measuring the power radiated in the fundamental and in the harmonics. This capability is useful for oscillator architectures designed to cancel the fundamental and use higher harmonics. The radiated power was measured using two techniques: direct measurement of the power by placing the device in front of a bolometer of known responsivity, and by comparison to the estimated power from blackbody sources. The latter technique showed that these circuits have higher emission than blackbody sources at the operating frequencies, and, therefore, offer potential spectroscopy applications.     

A synchronized emissive probe for time-resolved plasma potential measurements of pulsed discharges

A pulsed emissive probe technique is presented for measuring the plasma potential of pulsed plasma discharges. The technique provides time-resolved data and features minimal disturbance of the plasma achieved by alternating probe heating with the generation of plasma. Time resolution of about 20 ns is demonstrated for high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) plasma of niobium in argon. Spatial resolution of about 1 mm is achieved by using a miniature tungsten filament mounted on a precision translational stage. Repeated measurements for the same discharge conditions show that the standard deviation of the measurements is about 1-2 V, corresponding to 4%-8% of the maximum plasma potential relative to ground. The principle is demonstrated for measurements at a distance of 30 mm from the target, for different radial positions, at an argon pressure of 0.3 Pa, a cathode voltage of -420 V, and a discharge current of about 60 A in the steady-state phase of the HIPIMS pulse.     

Characterization of a linear device developed for research on advanced plasma imaging and dynamics

Within the scope of long term research on imaging diagnostics for steady-state plasmas and understanding of edge plasma physics through diagnostics with conventional spectroscopic methods, we have constructed a linear electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma device named Research on Advanced Plasma Imaging and Dynamics (RAPID). It has a variety of axial magnetic field profiles provided by eight water-cooled magnetic coils and two dc power supplies. The positions of the magnetic coils are freely adjustable along the axial direction and the power supplies can be operated with many combinations of electrical wiring to the coils. Here, a 6 kW 2.45 GHz magnetron is used to produce steady-state hydrogen, helium, and argon plasmas with central magnetic fields of 875 and/or 437.5 G (second harmonic). In order to achieve the highest possible plasma performance within the limited input parameters, wall conditioning experiments were carried out. Chamber bake-out was achieved with heating coils that were wound covering the vessel, and long-pulse electron cyclotron heating discharge cleaning was also followed after 4 days of bake-out. A uniform bake-out temperature (150?°C) was achieved by wrapping the vessel in high temperature thermal insulation textile and by controlling the heating coil current using a digital control system. The partial pressure changes were observed using a residual gas analyzer, and a total system pressure of 5×10(-8)?Torr was finally reached. Diagnostic systems including a millimeter-wave interferometer, a high resolution survey spectrometer, a Langmuir probe, and an ultrasoft x-ray detector were used to provide the evidence that the plasma performance was improved as we desired. In this work, we present characterization of the RAPID device for various system conditions and configurations.     

Interfacial Dipoles and Radiated Energy

Electric dipoles radiate an electromagnetic field into their surroundings. The electric and magnetic fields from a point source or from linear dipoles have components parallel to a spherical surface but also a radial component. In most investigations on radiated fields, only the part of the electric field that is parallel to a spherical surface is taken into account. The argument is that only that component contributes to the radiated energy. Here we show that the phase front in the lower half space is not a spherical surface and hence, the radial components contribute to radiated energy. We show differences in radiation patterns for point electric dipoles and linear dipoles, either modeled as perfectly conducting wires or as resistively loaded wires. Our primary interest lies with improving image resolution through processing of Ground-Penetrating Radar data. Here the emphasis lies with understanding the radiation characteristics of linear dipoles that can be incorporated with image processing algorithms. The model uses a thin-wire approximation for the transmitter antenna. The solution to the discrete system of equations is solved, incorporating interaction between the interface, using a CGFFT scheme including symmetrization and a newly developed preconditioning operator. We look at the electric and magnetic fields as well as the time-averaged Poynting vector radiation patterns in the E-plane and H-plane of the transmitting antenna. The results show that the radial component of the radiated electric and magnetic field is not negligible, even at distances more than seven wavelengths away from the antennas.     

Collective Thomson scattering of a high power electron cyclotron resonance heating beam in LHD (invited)

Collective Thomson scattering (CTS) system has been constructed at LHD making use of the high power electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) system in Large Helical Device (LHD). The necessary features for CTS, high power probing beams and receiving beams, both with well defined Gaussian profile and with the fine controllability, are endowed in the ECRH system. The 32 channel radiometer with sharp notch filter at the front end is attached to the ECRH system transmission line as a CTS receiver. The validation of the CTS signal is performed by scanning the scattering volume. A new method to separate the CTS signal from background electron cyclotron emission is developed and applied to derive the bulk and high energy ion components for several combinations of neutral beam heated plasmas.     

Characterization of plasma parameters, first beam results, and status of electron cyclotron resonance source

Electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma source at 50 keV, 30 mA proton current has been designed, fabricated, and assembled. Its plasma study has been done. Plasma chamber was excited with 350 W of microwave power at 2450 MHz, along with nitrogen and hydrogen gases. Microwave power was fed to the plasma chamber through waveguide. Plasma density and electron temperature were studied under various operating conditions, such as magnetic field, gas pressure, and transversal distance. Langmuir probe was used for plasma characterization using current-voltage variation. The nitrogen plasma density calculated was approximately 4.5 x 10(11) cm(-3), and electron temperatures of 3-10 eV (cold) and 45-85 eV (hot) were obtained. The total ion beam current of 2.5 mA was extracted, with two-electrode extraction geometry, at 15 keV beam energy. The optimization of the source is under progress to extract 30 mA proton beam current at 50 keV beam energy, using three-electrode extraction geometry. This source will be used as an injector to continuous wave radio frequency quadrupole, a part of 100 MeV proton linac. The required root-mean-square normalized beam emittance is less than 0.2pi mm mrad. This article presents the study of plasma parameters, first beam results, and status of ECR proton source.