VUV spectroscopy in impurity injection experiments at KSTAR using prototype ITER VUV spectrometer

The ITER vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) core survey spectrometer has been designed as a 5-channel spectral system so that the high spectral resolving power of 200-500 could be achieved in the wavelength range of 2.4-160 nm. To verify the design of the ITER VUV core survey spectrometer, a two-channel prototype spectrometer was developed. As a subsequent step of the prototype test, the prototype VUV spectrometer has been operated at KSTAR since the 2012 experimental campaign. From impurity injection experiments in the years 2015 and 2016, strong emission lines, such as Kr xxv 15.8 nm, Kr xxvi 17.9 nm, Ne vii 46.5 nm, Ne vi 40.2 nm, and an array of largely unresolved tungsten lines (14-32 nm) could be measured successfully, showing the typical photon number of 10¹³-10¹⁵ photons/cm² s.

Overview of diagnostic performance and results for the first operation phase in Wendelstein 7-X (invited)

Wendelstein 7-X, a superconducting optimized stellarator built in Greifswald/Germany, started its first plasmas with the last closed flux surface (LCFS) defined by 5 uncooled graphite limiters in December 2015. At the end of the 10 weeks long experimental campaign (OP1.1) more than 20 independent diagnostic systems were in operation, allowing detailed studies of many interesting plasma phenomena. For example, fast neutral gas manometers supported by video cameras (including one fast-frame camera with frame rates of tens of kHz) as well as visible cameras with different interference filters, with field of views covering all ten half-modules of the stellarator, discovered a MARFE-like radiation zone on the inboard side of machine module 4. This structure is presumably triggered by an inadvertent plasma-wall interaction in module 4 resulting in a high impurity influx that terminates some discharges by radiation cooling. The main plasma parameters achieved in OP1.1 exceeded predicted values in discharges of a length reaching 6 s. Although OP1.1 is characterized by short pulses, many of the diagnostics are already designed for quasi-steady state operation of 30 min discharges heated at 10 MW of ECRH. An overview of diagnostic performance for OP1.1 is given, including some highlights from the physics campaigns.

Effect of sow age on the apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients in the diet

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of sow age on apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients and the concentration of metabolizable energy in the diet. The experiment was carried out on 20 gestating sows, divided into two groups: Group I - 10 sows in first pregnancy (131 ± 4.5 kg) and Group II - 10 sows in fourth pregnancy (225 ± 8.2 kg). Sows in the two groups were fed identical diets for sows during early pregnancy. The total collection of faeces began on day 30 of pregnancy and lasted eight days. Sows in the fourth pregnancy had greater digestibility coefficients of dry matter (4.1 percentage units), organic matter (3.4 percentage units), crude protein (5.5 percentage units) and crude fibre (6.2 percentage units) than sows in the first pregnancy. The total tract digestibility of ether extract, starch and sugars was not affected by pig age. The metabolizable energy, determined according to the content of digestible nutrients, in the sow diet in fourth pregnancy was 0.7 MJ/kg higher than in the diet of sows in their first pregnancy. Results of this research indicate that sow age should be considered when formulating diets during early pregnancy.______________________________________________________________________________________Keywords: Digestibility, gestation, metabolizable energy, nutrients, age of sow

Test of prototype ITER vacuum ultraviolet spectrometer and its application to impurity study in KSTAR plasmas

To optimize the design of ITER vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectrometer, a prototype VUV spectrometer was developed. The sensitivity calibration curve of the spectrometer was calculated from the mirror reflectivity, the grating efficiency, and the detector efficiency. The calibration curve was consistent with the calibration points derived in the experiment using the calibrated hollow cathode lamp. For the application of the prototype ITER VUV spectrometer, the prototype spectrometer was installed at KSTAR, and various impurity emission lines could be measured. By analyzing about 100 shots, strong positive correlation between the O VI and the C IV emission intensities could be found.

Status of the diagnostics development for the first operation phase of the stellarator Wendelstein 7-X

An overview of the diagnostics which are essential for the first operational phase of Wendelstein 7-X and the set of diagnostics expected to be ready for operation at this time are presented. The ongoing investigations of how to cope with high levels of stray Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ECRH) radiation in the ultraviolet (UV)/visible/infrared (IR) optical diagnostics are described.

Chemical composition and biological value of proteins of the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica growing on industrial glycerol

Michalik, B., Biel, W., Lubowicki, R. and Jacyno, E. 2014. Chemical composition and biological value of proteins of the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica growing on industrial glycerol. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 94: 99–104. The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and biological value of proteins from the yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica, after cultivation on glycerol, a waste product obtained in the production of biofuel from rapeseed. In the tested material we determined moisture, crude protein, ether extract, nitrogen-free extract (NFE), ash, calcium, phosphorus, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, amino acids and fatty acids. The biological value of Y. lipolytica and Saccharomyces cerevisiae proteins was determined with laboratory rats by two methods: the growth method (protein efficiency ratio standardized for casein, PERstand; net protein retention, NPR) and the Thomas–Mitchell method (biological value, BV; true digestibility, TD). The protein content of Y. lipolytica [467 g kg−1 dry matter (DM)] was similar to that of S. cerevisiae (479 g kg−1 DM). Of particular interest was the almost 30-times higher crude fat content in Y. lipolytica (200 g kg−1 DM) than in S. cerevisiae (6.7 g kg−1 DM). Yarrowica lipolytica cells accumulated substantial amount of fat in which more than 90% of fatty acids were unsaturated fatty acids with a considerable share of polyunsaturated fatty acids (34%). The low share of sulfur amino acid of Y. lipolytica (2.05 g 16g−1 N) and S. cerevisiae (2.32 g 16g−1 N) limited the nutritional value of the protein of the studied yeast. The biological value of proteins as assessed by the growth method (PER, NPR) did not differ between the two yeast species. Finally, Y. lipolytica was a rich source of highly digestible ether extract (over 57%).

Method to obtain absolute impurity density profiles combining charge exchange and beam emission spectroscopy without absolute intensity calibration

Investigation of impurity transport properties in tokamak plasmas is essential and a diagnostic that can provide information on the impurity content is required. Combining charge exchange recombination spectroscopy (CXRS) and beam emission spectroscopy (BES), absolute radial profiles of impurity densities can be obtained from the CXRS and BES intensities, electron density and CXRS and BES emission rates, without requiring any absolute calibration of the spectra. The technique is demonstrated here with absolute impurity density radial profiles obtained in TEXTOR plasmas, using a high efficiency charge exchange spectrometer with high etendue, that measures the CXRS and BES spectra along the same lines-of-sight, offering an additional advantage for the determination of absolute impurity densities.

A high etendue spectrometer suitable for core charge eXchange recombination spectroscopy on ITER

A feasibility study for the use of core charge exchange recombination spectroscopy on ITER has shown that accurate measurements on the helium ash require a spectrometer with a high etendue of 1mm(2)sr to comply with the measurement requirements [S. Tugarinov et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 74, 2075 (2003)]. To this purpose such an instrument has been developed consisting of three separate wavelength channels (to measure simultaneously He/Be, C/Ne, and H/D/T together with the Doppler shifted direct emission of the diagnostic neutral beam, the beam emission (BES) signal), combining high dispersion (0.02 nm/pixel), sufficient resolution (0.2 nm), high efficiency (55%), and extended wavelength range (14 nm) at high etendue. The combined measurement of the BES along the same sightline within a third wavelength range provides the possibility for in situ calibration of the charge eXchange recombination spectroscopy signals. In addition, the option is included to use the same instrument for measurements of the fast fluctuations of the beam emission intensity up to 2 MHz, with the aim to study MHD activity.

A non-statistical atomic model for beam emission and motional Stark effect diagnostics in fusion plasmas

In this work we analyze magnetic sublevel populations in a neutral beam penetrating a fusion plasma. The collisional-radiative model NOMAD was extended to include magnetic parabolic sublevels with principal quantum numbers n ≤ 10. The collisional parameters were calculated with the advanced atomic-orbital close coupling method and the Glauber approximation. The ionization by the induced electric field was also included in the model. The results of our calculations show significant deviations of the sublevel populations and, accordingly, line intensities of the σ and π components, from the statistical approximation. It is shown, for instance, that for a number of experimental conditions the total intensity of σ components is not equal to the total intensity of π components, which has a strong effect on determination of magnetic field and pitch angle in fusion devices. The results are presented for a wide range of plasma and beam parameters. The most significant deviations are observed for strong magnetic fields and high beam energies typical for the ITER plasma, where component intensity ratios may deviate by more than 20% from the statistical values.

First fusion proton measurements in TEXTOR plasmas using activation technique

MeV particle loss measurements from fusion plasmas, in particular alpha particles, remain difficult in large fusion devices and further R&D is needed for ITER. This paper describes the first attempt to measure 3 MeV escaping fusion protons emitted from TEXTOR tokamak plasmas using activation technique. This technique was successfully demonstrated, initially, in 2006 on the JET tokamak. An ion camera equipped with a collimator and several types of activation detectors was installed inside the TEXTOR vacuum vessel to perform these measurements. After irradiation, the detectors were analyzed using ultra low level gamma-ray spectrometry at the HADES underground laboratory. 3 MeV escaping fusion protons were detected in larger number -~6 times more--compared to earlier measurements using this technique on JET. Another major progress was the reduction of the cooling time by a factor of 50, which made possible to detect radionuclides with half-life of less than 90 min.

First results from the modular multi-channel dispersion interferometer at the TEXTOR tokamak

At the TEXTOR tokamak in Jülich, Germany, a modular dispersion interferometer was installed and operated for the first time. Equipped with four lines of sight, the line-integrated density could be measured in parallel at different major radii with a resolution of better than 3 × 10(17) m(-2). This paper will describe the setup and show the first measurement results. Among others, it was possible to detect the evolution of a disruption with a time resolution of 4 μs. The movement of the runaway beam following the disruption could be resolved spatially and temporarily.

Diagnostics design for steady-state operation of the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator

The status of the diagnostic developments for the quasistationary operable stellarator Wendelstein 7-X (maximum pulse length of 30 min at 10 MW ECRH heating at 140 GHz) will be reported on. Significant emphasis is being given to the issue of ECRH stray radiation shielding of in-vessel diagnostic components, which will be critical at high density operation requiring O2 and OXB heating.

Development of two-channel prototype ITER vacuum ultraviolet spectrometer with back-illuminated charge-coupled device and microchannel plate detectors

A vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectrometer of a five-channel spectral system is designed for ITER main plasma impurity measurement. To develop and verify the system design, a two-channel prototype system is fabricated with No. 3 (14.4-31.8 nm) and No. 4 (29.0-60.0 nm) among the five channels. The optical system consists of a collimating mirror to collect the light from source to slit, two holographic diffraction gratings with toroidal geometry, and two different electronic detectors. For the test of the prototype system, a hollow cathode lamp is used as a light source. To find the appropriate detector for ITER VUV system, two kinds of detectors of the back-illuminated charge-coupled device and the microchannel plate electron multiplier are tested, and their performance has been investigated.

Review of atomic data needs for active charge-exchange spectroscopy on ITER

The quantitative exploitation of active beam spectra is largely based on an advanced atomic modeling. Under the ITER operating conditions the penetration depth of a diagnostic beam into the plasma core crucially affects the intensities of spectral lines and hence the uncertainties of derived plasma parameters. A critical review of atomic data and an assessment of its error margins are, therefore, urgently needed. The aim of the present work is to verify the existing beam-stopping and beam-emission data for hydrogen beam in fusion plasmas. The agreement between the ADAS database and the present calculations is found to be within 5% for the beam-stopping data in a H-plasma. The calculation of beam attenuation in the presence of He-ash (4%) and Be ions (2%) demonstrates the agreement between the present data and the ADAS database within 10%. Finally, the maximum deviation of 15% is found only for beam-emission data at the electron density of 1x10(12)-2x10(12) cm(-3), which is significantly below the ITER density of 10(14) cm(-3).

Development of a multichannel dispersion interferometer at TEXTOR

The design and main characteristics of 14-channel dispersion interferometer for plasma profile measurement and control in TEXTOR tokamak are presented. The diagnostic is engineered on the basis of modular concept, the 10.6 microm CO(2) laser source and all optical and mechanical elements of each module are arranged in a compact housing. A set of mirrors and retroreflectors inside the TEXTOR vacuum vessel provides full coverage of the torus cross section with 12 vertical and two diagonal lines of sight, no rigid frame for vibration isolation is required. Results of testing of the single-channel prototype diagnostic and the pilot module of the multichannel dispersion interferometer are presented.

Validation of the ITER CXRS design by tests on TEXTOR

The charge exchange recombination spectroscopy system (CXRS) for ITER is designed to measure the core helium concentration, and in addition, profiles of ion temperature and rotation. This highly demanding task, due to the huge background radiation (bremsstrahlung) and the high attenuation of the dedicated diagnostic neutral beam, requires high throughput spectrometers with high resolution. On TEXTOR, a CXRS system has been developed with the aim to test the physics implications of these specifications. (i) A relevant spectrometer has been tested. (ii) A method to determine the helium concentrations from the CXRS intensity, using the beam emission has been evaluated. A 20% discrepancy in beam emission was revealed. (iii) The determination of the magnetic pitch angle by the ratio of Balmer lines showed qualitatively the right behavior, although the accuracy was limited by the polarization sensitivity of the first mirror. (iv) The simulation code developed for the prediction of the CXRS spectra was quantitatively confronted with experimental data.

Influence of the dynamic ergodic divertor on the density limit in TEXTOR

A significant influence of the dynamic ergodic divertor (DED) on the density limit in TEXTOR has been found. In Ohmic discharges, where without DED detachment normally arises at the density limit, a MARFE (multifaceted asymmetric radiation from the edge) develops when the DED is operated in a static regime. The threshold of the MARFE onset in the neutral beam heated plasmas is increased by applying 1 kHz ac DED at the high-field side. The theoretical predictions based on the parallel energy balance taking poloidal asymmetries into account agree well with the experimental observation.

Toroidal plasma rotation induced by the dynamic ergodic divertor in the TEXTOR tokamak

The first results of the Dynamic Ergodic Divertor in TEXTOR, when operating in the m/n=3/1 mode configuration, are presented. The deeply penetrating external magnetic field perturbation of this configuration increases the toroidal plasma rotation. Staying below the excitation threshold for the m/n=2/1 tearing mode, this toroidal rotation is always in the direction of the plasma current, even if the toroidal projection of the rotating magnetic field perturbation is in the opposite direction. The observed toroidal rotation direction is consistent with a radial electric field, generated by an enhanced electron transport in the ergodic layers near the resonances of the perturbation. This is an effect different from theoretical predictions, which assume a direct coupling between rotating perturbation and plasma to be the dominant effect of momentum transfer.