Design of a new optical system for Alcator C-Mod motional Stark effect diagnostic
- MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)
- Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey 08543 (United States)
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)
The motional Stark effect (MSE) diagnostic on Alcator C-Mod uses an in-vessel optical system (five lenses and three mirrors) to relay polarized light to an external polarimeter because port access limitations on Alcator C-Mod preclude a direct view of the diagnostic beam. The system experiences unacceptable, spurious drifts of order several degrees in measured pitch angle over the course of a run day. Recent experiments illuminated the MSE diagnostic with polarized light of fixed orientation as heat was applied to various optical elements. A large change in measured angle was observed as two particular lenses were heated, indicating that thermal-stress-induced birefringence is a likely cause of the spurious variability. Several new optical designs have been evaluated to eliminate the affected in-vessel lenses and to replace the focusing they provide with curved mirrors; however, ray tracing calculations imply that this method is not feasible. A new approach is under consideration that utilizes in situ calibrations with in-vessel reference polarized light sources.
- OSTI ID:
- 21266674
- Journal Information:
- Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 79, Issue 10; Conference: HTPD08: 17. topical conference on high-temperature plasma diagnostics, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 11-15 May 2008; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2953681; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0034-6748
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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