A short history of heavy ion beam probing

The author describes some aspects of research on controlled thermonuclear fusion as an energy source, starting in the late 1950s. There was a need for new diagnostic techniques for studying high temperature plasmas. The author proposed a diagnostic for measuring plasma density by probing a deuterium plasma with a deuterium beam and measuring the proton production from the D-D nuclear reaction. By the mid 1960s, it was possible to do so. After carrying out a D-D measurement, the author suggested switching over to an H₂⁺ beam and looking for an H⁺ signal. The H+ was loud and clear and that was the last of the nuclear measurements. One of the first things done using the molecular break-up of the H₂⁺ to measure the density of the hollow cathode arc plasma was a study of a coherent instability. The frequency response wasn't sufficient to measure the instability directly, so a Langmuir probe was used to detect the instability. The Langmuir probe gave a signal from a fixed spatial location but the beam probe signal was swept across the plasma giving 2D spatial resolution. This was the first detailed mapping of a plasma instability. Attempts to apply the ion beam probe to measuring the plasma current density in the ST Tokamak are described. Heavy ion beam probing measurements using hollow cathode arcs as target plasmas made it possible to measure T_e at low temperatures and to identify space potential fluctuations. Installation of a beam probe on the Laser Initiated Target Experiment are described, along with work on the ELMO Bumpy Torus, the VERSATOR Tokamak, TMX, TEXT, ISX-B, the Ergodic Magnetic Limiter and ATF     

Profile structures of TJ-II stellarator plasmas

Fine structures are found in the TJ-II stellarator electron temperature and density profiles, when they are measured using a high spatial resolution Thomson scattering system. These structures consist of peaks and valleys superimposed to a smooth average. Some irregularities remain in an ensemble average of discharges with similar macroscopic parameters such as line density, central temperature, and plasma current. They are found in all the magnetic configurations explored in plasmas heated by electron cyclotron waves. Their characteristics are shown and their possible origin is discussed.     

Role of turbulence on edge momentum redistribution in the TJ-II stellarator

Radial profiles of the parallel-radial Reynolds stress component, proportional to the cross correlation between parallel and radial fluctuating velocities, have been measured in the plasma boundary region of the TJ-II stellarator. Experimental results show the existence of significant parallel turbulent forces at plasma densities above the threshold value to trigger perpendicular sheared flows. This finding provides the first experimental evidence of the role of parallel turbulence forces on edge momentum redistribution in fusion devices.     

The heavy ion beam diagnostic for the tokamak ISTTOK

In this paper we describe the heavy ion beam diagnostic for the tokamak ISTTOK, which has been designed to determine the temporal evolution of the plasma density, poloidal magnetic field and plasma potential profiles. This diagnostic makes use of a new type of high density caesium plasma source, a multiple cell detector and a fast data acquisition system. We describe the numerical code for trajectory and beam attenuation simulations, a method for the experimental determination of the poloidal field profile, the ion gun and the detection, control and data acquisition systems. Calibration tests and the first experimental results are presented     

Radial electric fields and confinement in the TJ-II stellarator

Radial plasma potential profiles have been obtained in the TJ-II by the Heavy Ion Beam Probing (HIBP) diagnostics. Results show that the potential increases up to 1 kV near the magnetic axis in ECRH low-density plasmas. The secondary ion current profiles, which directly reflect the plasma density, are hollow. In low-density ECRH operation, radial electric fields are found to be positive in the plasma core, however, a reduction in these fields is observed with increasing density. Radial plasma potential profiles show evidence of structures in configurations with low-order rational surfaces. In particular, HIBP measurements have permitted characterization of the plasma potential profile during e-ITB formation. Experiments in TJ-II have shown that it is possible to modify the global confinement and edge plasma parameters with limiter biasing, illustrating the direct impact of radial electric fields on confinement properties. Plasma potential measurements by the HIBP diagnostic show a strong impact of heating method (ECRH versus NBI) on radial electric fields.Presented at the Workshop Electric Fields Structures and Relaxation in Edge Plasmas, Nice, France, October 26–27, 2004.     

Rensselaer heavy ion beam probe diagnostic methods and techniques

The operating principles, measurement capabilities, hardware, and data analysis techniques of heavy ion beam probe diagnostics as used by the Rensselaer Plasma Dynamics Lab are reviewed. The topics that are addressed include; trajectory calculations of the ion beams; how the diagnostic measures plasma density, electron temperature, electric potential, and magnetic vector potential; the energy analyzer used to detect the beam, other hardware used in the experiments, and the basic techniques used in fluctuation studies and related diagnostic issues     

Role of rational surfaces on fluctuations and transport in the plasma edge of the TJ-II stellarator

It has been shown that transport barriers in toroidal magnetically confined plasmas tend to be linked to regions of unique magnetic topology such as the location of a minimum in the safety factor, rational surfaces or the boundary between closed and open flux surfaces. In the absence ofE×B sheared flows, fluctuations are expected to show maximum amplitude near rational surfaces, and plasma confinement might tend to deteriorate. On the other hand, if the generation ofE×B sheared flows were linked to low order rational surfaces, these would be beneficial for confinement. Experimental evidence ofE×B sheared flows linked to rational surfaces has been obtained in the plasma edge region of the TJ-II stellarator. Presented at the Workshop on the Role of Electric Fields in Plasma Confinement and Exhaust, Budapest, 18–19 June, 2000.     

Evidence of long-distance correlation of fluctuations during edge transitions to improved-confinement regimes in the TJ-II stellarator

Long-distance coupling between edge parameters' fluctuations has been investigated in the TJ-II stellarator. Results show long-range correlations in potential fluctuations, which are amplified by the development of radial electric fields during transitions to improved-confinement regimes, whereas there is no correlation between ion saturation current signals. These experimental findings suggest the importance of long-range correlations as a new fingerprint of the plasma behavior during the development of edge shear flows and the key role of electric fields to amplify them.     

The TMX heavy ion beam probe

A heavy ion beam probe has been used to measure the radial space potential distribution in the central cell of TMX. This was the first beam probe system to utilize computer control, CAMAC instrumentation, and fast time response for broadband fluctuation capabilities. The fast time response was obtained using off-line processing of the energy analyzer detector signals and wideband transimpedance amplifiers. The on-axis space potential was found to be 300-400 V, with φ_e/T_ec~8. The radial potential profile is parabolic when gas box fueling is used. The frequency of observed fluctuations was found to agree with the E×B plasma rotation frequency during the discharge. The measured Tl⁺⁺ secondary ion current level is consistent with calculations, given reasonable assumptions for beam attenuation     

Study of the plasma potential evolution during ECRH in the T-10 tokamak and TJ-II stellarator

Comparison of the plasma electric potential evolution in the T-10 tokamak and TJ-II stellarator was performed. The core potential was measured by the heavy-ion beam probing and the edge potential was measured by Langmuir probe. The intrinsic potentials in both devices are different in sign, positive in TJ-II low-density discharge and negative in T-10 higher-density discharges, but during ECRH they evolve similarly: the potential becomes more positive, and increase of ECRH power leads to stronger rise of core potential. Presented at the Workshop “Electric Fields, Structures and Relaxation in Edge Plasmas”, Tarragona, Spain, July 3–4, 2005.     

Development of heavy ion beam probe diagnostics

The results of the activity of the Kharkov and Moscow HIBP groups during recent years are presented in this paper. This is a review of papers published in the USSR and also contains extracts of some unpublished reports. The mathematical aspects of the diagnostics including the problems of the planning and design of an experiment along with the problems of the interpretation of the experimental data for plasma density and current determination are reviewed. The probing apparatus used in the experiment for plasma potential and density measurements are described. Some results of measurements are discussed and the trends to spread the use of HIBP in modern research are noted     

Investigation of the plasma potential oscillations in the range of geodesic acoustic mode frequencies by heavy ion beam probing in tokamaks

Specific oscillations within a range of 20 kHz (20 kHz-mode) were investigated on the T-10 and TEXT tokamaks using Heavy Ion Beam Probe (HIBP) diagnostic. Regimes with ohmic heating on both machines, and with off-axis ECRH in T-10 were studied. It was shown that 20 kHz-modes are mainly the potential oscillations. The power spectrum of the oscillations has the form of a solitary quasi-monochromatic peak with a contrast range of (3–5). They are the manifestation of torsional plasma oscillations with poloidal wavenumber m = 0, called zonal flows. It was shown that in TEXT the radial electric field oscillations exist in a limited radial range of 0.65 > < 0.95. The frequency of 20 kHz-mode is varied in the region of observation; it diminishes to the plasma edge. In T-10, after ECRH switch-on, the frequency increases, correlating with the growth of the electron temperature T _e. In both machines the frequency of the 20 kHz-mode varies with local T _e: f T _e ^1/2 , which is consistent with theoretical scaling for geodesic acoustic modes (GAM): f _GAM c _s/R T _e ^1/2 , where c _s is the speed of sound. The absolute frequencies are close to GAM values within a factor of unity.Presented at the Workshop Electric Fields Structures and Relaxation in Edge Plasmas, Nice, France, October 26–27, 2004.     

Heat diffusion in heavy ion beam irradiation

For heavy ion beam irradiation in water, a model that simulates heat diffusion following measurement indicating heat diffusion is proposed as a first step. This heat is generated near the incident ion path. The model proposed here should be useful for ion-beam cancer therapy as well as the analysis of this measurement. Further, many molecules quickly migrate in the target simultaneously with heat diffusion, and this migration is expected to greatly damage DNA, that is, to create cluster DNA damage.     

Hollow beam formation in the intense multi-component heavy ion beam caused by beam self-field

The simulation of the hollow beam formation in the intense multi-component ion beam from ECR source is fulfilled. The influence of the helium and hydrogen beam current on the argon and calcium ions dynamics has been studied.     

New advanced operational regime on the W7-AS stellarator

A promising new plasma operational regime on the Wendelstein stellarator W7-AS has been discovered. It is extant above a threshold density and characterized by flat density profiles, high energy and low impurity confinement times, and edge-localized radiation. Impurity accumulation is avoided. Quasistationary discharges with line-averaged densities n(e) to 4 x 10(20) m(-3), radiation levels to 90%, and partial plasma detachment at the divertor target plates can be simultaneously realized. Energy confinement is up to twice that of a standard scaling. At B(t) = 0.9 T, an average beta value of 3.1% is achieved. The high n(e) values allow demonstration of electron Bernstein wave heating using linear mode conversion.     

Atomic collision processes relevant for heavy ion beam probes

Atomic collision processes of fast Tl and Cs ions with particles in a high temperature fusion plasma are investigated. At low beam energies (<5 MeV), ion impact collisions and charge exchange processes can be neglected compared to electron ionization processes. At beam energies above 5 MeV and high plasma ion temperatures, collisions with ions start to contribute significantly to signal generation and attenuation. Also, collisions with the neutral background gas in the beamlines can attenuate the ion beam significantly and lower the signal level, if the vacuum pressure is above 10^-4 Torr. For the heavy ion beam probes operating today, only electron impact ionization processes are important and accurate predictions of the secondary signal level and electron density profile measurements are possible because of the good knowledge of electron impact ionization cross sections for Cs ⁺ and Tl⁺ ions     

Development of exploding wire ion source for intense pulsed heavy ion beam accelerator

A Novel exploding wire type ion source device is proposed as a metallic ion source of intense pulsed heavy ion beam (PHIB) accelerator. In the device, multiple shot operations are realized without breaking the vacuum. The basic characteristics of the device are evaluated experimentally with an aluminum wire of diameter 0.2 mm and length 25 mm. A capacitor bank of capacitance 3 μF and a charging voltage of 30 kV was used, and the wire was successfully exploded by a discharge current of 15 kA with a rise time of 5.3 μs. Plasma flux of ion current density around 70 A/cm² was obtained at 150 mm downstream from the device. The drift velocity of ions evaluated by a time-of-flight method was 2.7×10⁴ m/ s, which corresponds to the kinetic energy of 100 eV for aluminum ions. From the measurement of the ion current density distribution, the ion flow is found to be concentrated toward the direction where the ion acceleration gap is placed. From the experiment, the device is found to be acceptable for applying the PHIB accelerator.     

CR-39 sensitivity analysis on heavy ion beam with atomic force microscope

Preliminary results of feasibility study to apply atomic force microscope (AFM) to the quantitative analysis for minute etch pits on CR-39 are reported comparing with the optical microscope observation. The growth curves of the Si track diameter and length obtained by both technqiues were discussed in relation to the track sensitivity and the etch induction time.     

Swift heavy ion beam mixing at V/Si interface

Vanadium silicides are of increasing interest because of applications in high temperature superconductivity and in microelectronics as contact materials due to their good electrical conductivity. In the present work ion beam induced mixing at Si/V/Si interface has been investigated using 120 MeV Au ions at 1 × 10¹³ to 1 × 10¹⁴ ions/cm² fluence at room temperature. V/Si interface was characterized by Grazing Incidence X-Ray Diffraction (GIXRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) and Cross-sectional Transmission Electron Microscopy (XTEM) techniques before and after irradiation. It was found that the atomic mixing width increases with ion fluence. GIXRD and RBS investigations confirm the formation of V₆Si₅ silicide phase at the interface at the highest ion irradiation dose.