Microwave Reflectometry for Magnetically Confined Plasmas

Technical Report · Sat Jan 31 23:00:00 EST 1998

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4379· OSTI ID:4379

Mazzucato, E ^[1]

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1. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

This paper is about microwave reflectometry -- a radar technique for plasma density measurements using the reflection of electromagnetic waves by a plasma cutoff. Both the theoretical foundations of reflectometry and its practical application to the study of magnetically confined plasmas are reviewed in this paper. In particular, the role of short-scale density fluctuations is discussed at length, both as a unique diagnostic tool for turbulence studies in thermonuclear plasmas and for the deleterious effects that fluctuations may have on the measurement of the average plasma density with microwave reflectometry.

• Research Organization: Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Research (ER)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH03073
• OSTI ID: 4379
• Report Number(s): PPPL-3288; ON: DE00004379
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
Fluctuations
Measuring Methods
Plasma Density
Radar
Turbulence