Advances in Langmuir Probe Diagnostics of the Plasma Potential and Electron-Energy Distribution Function in Fusion Plasmas

Advanced Langmuir probe techniques are reviewed for evaluating the plasma potential and electron-energy distribution function in magnetized plasma. The classical, the triple probe and the first derivative probe technique are reviewed and discussed. The first-derivative probe technique was applied to derive data for plasma parameters from the IV Langmuir probe characteristics measured in the plasma boundary region in the COMPASS and ISTTOK tokamaks, as well as in the TJ-II stellarator. It is shown that in the COMPASS tokamak in the vicinity of the last closed flux surface (LCFS) the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) is bi-Maxwellian with the low-temperature electron fraction predominating over the higher temperature one, whereas in the far scrape off layer (SOL) the EEDF is Maxwellian. In the TJ-II stellarator during NBI heated plasma, the EEDF in the confined plasma and close to the LCFS is bi-Maxwellian while in the far SOL the EEDF is Maxwellian. In contrast, during the ECR heating phase of the discharge both in the confined plasma and in the SOL the EEDF is bi-Maxwellian. The mechanism for the appearance of a bi-Maxwellian EEDF in the vicinity of the LCFS is discussed. The comparison of the results from probe measurements with the ASTRA package and EIRENE code calculations suggests that the main reason of the appearance of a bi-Maxwellian EEDF in the vicinity of the LCFS is the ionization of the neutral atoms. Results for the electron temperatures and densities obtained by the first-derivative probe technique in the COMPASS tokamak and in the TJ-II stellarator were used to evaluate the radial distribution of the parallel power flux density. It is shown that in the SOL the radial distribution of the parallel power flux density is a double exponential. It is pointed out that in the calculations of the parallel power flux density at the LCFS the energy losses from inelastic processes (excitation and ionization) must be taken into account. (author)