Heavy-ion beam probe for the Advanced Toroidal Facility

Neoclassical theory predicts that radial electric fields develop in plasmas confined in nonaxisymmetric tori and that they strongly influence the confinement in such devices. A heavy-ion beam probe has been planned for the ATF torsatron at Oak Ridge National Laboratory with the primary goal of providing direct measurements of the plasma potential radial profile and thus of the radial electric field. The complex ATF geometry and magnetic field structure present a diagnostic environment more challenging than that found on previous beam probe systems which have operated on tokamaks, mirrors, and bumpy tori. Particular attention has been given to system alignment and control capabilities. Since the probing ion trajectories remain essentially the same with or without the plasma, an in situ calibration scheme using suitable ionization targets is possible. Installation of the complete diagnostic system is planned for 1988