Laser resonant fluorescence scattering in the Toroidal Cusp Experiment

A dye laser induced resonant fluorescence scattering system has been installed on the Toroidal Cusp Experiment (TCX) at UCLA. This diagnostic has been employed to perform spatially and temporally resolved measurements of the neutral density and ion temperature. The local volume-average effect is used to decrease the fluctuation level in background radiation, thereby enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio. For Balmer alpha fluorescence measurements, the estimation of the neutral hydrogen density is based on either a coronal model or a time-dependent collisional radiative model depending on plasma parameters. By tuning the laser for broadband operation and using a narrow detection resolution, the ion temperature can be measured. The results are compared with other diagnostics