The DIII-D lithium beam edge diagnostic system (abstract)

We are installing a diagnostic system based on a neutral lithium beam to investigate plasma behavior in the edge region of DIII-D discharges [D. M. Thomas et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 61, 3040 (1990)]. The system will provide neutral equivalent current densities of several mA/cm2 at beam energies from 5 to 30 keV, sufficient to penetrate several centimeters past the last closed flux surface in most of the DIII-D operating regime. Fluorescence of the beam atoms is induced by collisions with plasma particles and is a sensitive measure of the edge density behavior. The emitted 670.8-nm fluorescence is collected and coupled via fiber optics to a multichannel high-speed data acquisition system based on silicon diode detectors. Because of the favorable atomic properties of lithium (i.e., high electron impact excitation cross section, resonance wavelength well separated from Hα) we should be able to study density fluctuations in this region from an analysis of the associated fluctuations in the beam fluorescence. A description of the installed diagnostic, test stand measurements of intrinsic beam fluctuations and any initial operating experience on DIII-D will be presented. This work supported by U. S. Department of Energy Grant No. DE-FG03-90ER5408 and Contract DE-AC03-89ER51114, which support does not constitute an endorsement by DOE of views expressed in this publication