Fast response bolometer for high temperature plasma

A fast response bolometer is developed to measure the radiation loss from a high temperature plasma. Radiation from the plasma (mainly x-ray) is absorbed by a thin foil and heats it up. Change in far infrared (FIR) radiation, due to the change in temperature, emitted from the back surface of the foil is detected by an FIR detector which is contained in a shield box placed distant from a plasma generating machine to eliminate electrical noise. The FIR radiation is transmitted from the thin foil to the detector by a light pipe (metal pipe inner surface of which is polished). The foil (radiation absorber) consists of 5μm thick copper foil, both surfaces of which are coated with 1 μm thick carbon to increase the sensitivity and to simplify the calibration procedure. Calibration is done by two methods: One is to obtain the relation between temperature of the foil and the output of the detector. The other is to measure the detector output when the foil is illuminated by a flashlight with known light energy. Latter calibration procedure is excellent in that it is reliable and can be carried out with the same arrangement as the radiation from the plasma is measured. The result of this calibration is 0.46mV/mJ. This figure can be increased by adoption of FIR light collecting system. Time response of the bolometer (conduction of heat from radiation absorbing surface to the back surface of the foil) is calculated to be 400 ns. The thickness of the foil is chosen in such a way that the radiation from the plasma with electron temperature of about 100 eV is almost completely absorbed. This bolometer is applicable to plasmas with higher temperature when the foil thickness is increased with the sacrifice of time response and sensitivity. (author)