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Doubled Nd-glass laser system for incoherent Thomson scattering from low density plasmas

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6132813· OSTI ID:6132813

Conventional Thomson scattering using a ruby laser evidences difficulty in scattered signal detection as electron densities drop below 10/sup 13/ cm/sup -3/. Studies of plasmas of interest, such as theta-pinch endloss flow, can require density resolution in that range. Use of a Nd-Glass Laser as a source and frequency doubling the output can result in increases in the incident energy and quantum efficiency of the detectors such that gains in scattered signal of greater than an order of magnitude over a conventional ruby laser system can be achieved. Due to the approx. 25A bandwidth of the Nd-Glass Laser line, however, the electron temperature information in the incoherent scattered signal must be extracted from a Voight profile, not from the usual Gaussian profile as when a ruby laser is used.

Research Organization:
Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
EY-76-S-02-4020
OSTI ID:
6132813
Report Number(s):
COO-4020-8; TRN: 79-010064
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English