Benchmarking of alternate theories for Stark broadening against experimental data from DIII-D diagnostics

Journal Article · Sun Feb 15 04:00:00 EST 2009 · Plasma Physics Reports

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063780X09020032· OSTI ID:21406002

Brooks, N H ^[1]; Lisgo, S ^[2]; Oks, E; Volodko, D ^[3]; Groth, M ^[4]; Leonard, A W ^[1]

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1. General Atomics (United States)
2. University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (Canada)
3. Auburn University, Physics Department (United States)
4. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (United States)

Spectroscopy of high-n Balmer line transitions provides a means of measuring n{sub e} and T{sub e} in recombining plasmas [J. L. Terry et al., Phys. Plasmas 5, 1579 (1998)]. The relative intensities of Rydberg series lines near the ionization limit are a sensitive diagnostic of T{sub e}, for T{sub e} < 1.5 eV. Stark broadening of these same lines provides a measure of local n{sub e} and, with less accuracy, of T{sub e}. The accuracy of different theoretical models for Stark broadening [H.R. Griem, Spectral Line Broadening by Plasmas (Academic, New York, 1974); E. Oks, Stark Broadening of Hydrogen and Hydrogenlike Spectral Lines in Plasmas: The Physical Insight (Alpha Science International, Oxford, UK, 2006)] is evaluated by comparing values of n{sub e} and T{sub e} measured on DIII-D by divertor Thomson scattering (DTS) with those deduced from spectral profile analysis of Balmer series deuterium lines. In particular, the detailed dependence of line width on principal quantum number provides a sensitive metric for distinguishing which model best accords with experiment.

• OSTI ID: 21406002
• Journal Information: Plasma Physics Reports, Journal Name: Plasma Physics Reports Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 35; ISSN PPHREM; ISSN 1063-780X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
BALMER LINES
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
DIVERTORS
DOUBLET-3 DEVICE
ENERGY LEVELS
EXCITED STATES
INELASTIC SCATTERING
LINE BROADENING
PLASMA
RYDBERG STATES
SCATTERING
SPECTROSCOPY
STARK EFFECT
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
THOMSON SCATTERING
TOKAMAK DEVICES