[en] Differential interferometry employs two parallel laser beams with a small spatial offset (less than beam width) and frequency difference (1-2 MHz) using common optics and a single mixer for a heterodyne detection. The differential approach allows measurement of the electron density gradient, its fluctuations, as well as the equilibrium density distribution. This novel interferometry technique is immune to fringe skip errors and is particularly useful in harsh plasma environments. Accurate calibration of the beam spatial offset, accomplished by use of a rotating dielectric wedge, is required to enable broad application of this approach. Differential interferometry has been successfully used on the Madison Symmetric Torus reversed-field pinch plasma to directly measure fluctuation-induced transport along with equilibrium density profile evolution during pellet injection. In addition, by combining differential and conventional interferometry, both linear and nonlinear terms of the electron density fluctuation energy equation can be determined, thereby allowing quantitative investigation of the origin of the density fluctuations. The concept, calibration, and application of differential interferometry are presented.

[en] Recently, the far-infrared (FIR) laser (λ₀=432 μm) Faraday rotation measurement system on MST has been upgraded. The dc flowing-gas discharge CO₂ pump laser is replaced by a rf-excited, sealed CO₂ laser at 9.27 μm (GEM select 100, Coherent Inc., Santa Clara, CA), which is subdivided equally into three parts to simultaneously pump three FIR cavities. The total infrared pump power is approximately 80 W on the 9R(20) line required to pump the formic acid molecule. Each FIR cavity produces ∼12 mW, sufficient for 11 simultaneous chord interferometry-polarimetry operations. Three key issues [(1) conservation of circularly polarized wave, (2) colinearity of two probe waves, and (3) stability of intermediate frequencies between lasers] affecting the Faraday rotation measurement have been resolved experimentally.

[en] 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>2μ₀/B_z²), flowing, and well collimated. Internal probe measurements show that the plasma current profile can be controlled by the plasma gun array.

[en] The resistive wall mode is experimentally identified and characterized in a line-tied, cylindrical screw pinch when the edge safety factor is less than a critical value. Different wall materials have been used to change the wall time and show that the growth rates for the RWM scale with wall time and safety factor as expected by theory. The addition of a ferritic wall material outside the conducting shell leads to growth rates larger than the observed RWM and larger than theoretical predictions for the ferritic wall mode

[en] A three-chord polarimeter on Alcator C-Mod will make measurements of the poloidal magnetic field and plasma fluctuations. The beams from two frequency-offset, 200 mW, FIR lasers operating at 117.73 μm are combined to produce collinear, counter-rotating, circularly polarized beams. The beams are divided into three chords which are directed into the plasma at one toroidal location. Corner cube retro-reflectors mounted on the inside wall return the beam for a double pass. The mixing product of the two beams is detected both before (reference) and after (signal) the plasma using polarization sensitive detectors that produce a beat signal at ∼ 4 MHz. During the plasma discharge, the phase delay of the signal mixer, which depends on the Faraday effect, is evaluated with respect to the reference and produces line-integrated information on the poloidal magnetic field. Measurements on C-Mod require the phase error to be at the 0.1 degree level, and great care in the design of optical mounts, polarizers, beam-splitters, focusing optics, and acoustic and magnetic shielding was required. Development of new planar diode Schottky detectors was necessary to provide high sensitivity for a diagnostic that will eventually have at least six chords. Absorption of the FIR laser light by water vapor requires that the entire beam path be purged with dry air. Six retro-reflectors on the inner wall arranged in an ITER-like configuration provide poloidally viewing chords from near the mid-plane to well into the plasma scrape off layer. A pneumatically controlled shutter protects the in-vessel optics during boronizations and during limited discharges that might accelerate damage to the retro-reflector surfaces. Tests indicate there is no measurable signal contamination from the toroidal magnetic field due to the Cotton-Mouton effect. Polarization sensitivity of the wire mesh beamsplitters necessitated system calibration. Good agreement to EFIT reconstructions has been observed along with plasma fluctuations up to 400 kHz.

[en] Quasi-single-helicity (QSH) states, characterized by a magnetic spectrum dominated by the innermost resonant tearing mode, are common to all the reversed field pinch (RFP) experiments. The internal magnetic field structure produced by the dominant mode is investigated for the QSH observed in the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) RFP in discharges with zero toroidal magnetic field at the plasma boundary. The reconstruction is based on an MHD model coupled to edge measurements of the magnetic field. The model discards pressure, which has little effect on the equilibrium magnetic profile of present RFP plasmas, but adopts a realistic toroidal geometry. The technique is the adaptation to the MST configuration of a procedure already applied in RFX-mod, but a more general radial profile for the current density is needed for an adequate reconstruction of the MST case. The emerging features are similar to those found in RFX-mod. The helical flux surfaces of the dominant mode provide, with a good degree of reliability, a basis for mapping kinetic quantities such as electron density and soft-x-ray emissivity.

[en] A poloidally viewing far infrared polarimeter diagnostic is being developed for the Alcator C-Mod tokamak, and will be used to determine the q-profile and to study density and magnetic field fluctuations. A three-chord version of what will eventually be up to a ten-chord system has been designed and fabricated and will be installed on C-Mod before the end of the current run period. Bench tests of a single chord mock-up of this system show acceptable noise levels for the planned measurements. We will discuss the analysis and experimental techniques used to diagnose and reduce noise sources.