• Media type: E-Article
  • Title: A two photon absorption laser induced fluorescence diagnostic for fusion plasmas
  • Contributor: Magee, R. M.; Galante, M. E.; McCarren, D.; Scime, E. E.; Boivin, R. L.; Brooks, N. H.; Groebner, R. J.; Hill, D. N.; Porter, G. D.
  • Published: AIP Publishing, 2012
  • Published in: Review of Scientific Instruments, 83 (2012) 10
  • Language: English
  • DOI: 10.1063/1.4728092
  • ISSN: 1089-7623; 0034-6748
  • Origination:
  • Footnote:
  • Description: The quality of plasma produced in a magnetic confinement fusion device is influenced to a large extent by the neutral gas surrounding the plasma. The plasma is fueled by the ionization of neutrals, and charge exchange interactions between edge neutrals and plasma ions are a sink of energy and momentum. Here we describe a diagnostic capable of measuring the spatial distribution of neutral gas in a magnetically confined fusion plasma. A high intensity (5 MW/cm2), narrow bandwidth (0.1 cm−1) laser is injected into a hydrogen plasma to excite the Lyman β transition via the simultaneous absorption of two 205 nm photons. The absorption rate, determined by measurement of subsequent Balmer α emission, is proportional to the number of particles with a given velocity. Calibration is performed in situ by filling the chamber to a known pressure of neutral krypton and exciting a transition close in wavelength to that used in hydrogen. We present details of the calibration procedure, including a technique for identifying saturation broadening, measurements of the neutral density profile in a hydrogen helicon plasma, and discuss the application of the diagnostic to plasmas in the DIII-D tokamak.