In situ measurement of the spectral reflectance of mirror-like metallic surfaces during plasma exposition

Visible spectroscopy in fusion plasmas crucially depends on the optical properties of first mirrors withstanding a considerable amount of radiation and particle fluxes. As a result of this interaction the optical properties of the mirrors could be changed so that a cleaning of the mirror is regularly required. Thus the reflectance of the first mirror must be monitored in situ. The newly developed Doppler-Shifted Reflectance Measurement (DSRM) diagnostic provides the spectral reflectance of mirrors in the absence of any calibration sources. It is based on the emission of fast H/D atoms in a low density Ar-H plasma by applying a negative potential on the order of −80⋯−200V to the mirror surface. Until now, the experimental data were restricted to measure only the fast atoms emission at the Hα line. In this work we prove that the new technique also provides the mirror reflectance at the Hβ line (Cu) (486 nm) relevant for the charge-exchange recombination spectroscopy (CXRS) measurements of the He II line (468 nm) in ITER. Moreover, the DSRM diagnostic remains sensitive to the polarization of the reflected light of a W mirror. We present the first experimental data on the time-dependent regime of operation: in situ monitoring of the degradation of an Al mirror is shown as a function of the mirror temperature. The passive heating of the mirror was performed by the plasma itself, which makes the separation between the impact of high temperature and plasma erosion on the mirror reflectance for the temperatures above 500 K impossible. A very good agreement of the experimental and the theoretical data calculated using the Drude theory for the temperature below 500 K is found. For the temperatures above 500 K the degradation of the reflectance of the mirror is determined by the erosion of Al, which is confirmed by monitoring the Al I spectral lines in unison. Keywords: optical emission spectroscopy, fast neutral atoms, spectral reflectance, light polarization, surface degradation, CXR

In situ measurements of the spectral reflectance of metallic mirrors at the Hα_α line in a low density Ar–H plasma

The efficient and reliable control and monitoring of the quality of the optical properties of mirrors is an open problem in laboratory plasmas. Until now, the measurement of the reflectance of the first mirrors was based on the methods that require additional light calibration sources. We propose a new technique based on the ratio of the red- and blue-shifted emission signals of the reflected hydrogen atoms which enables the in situ measurement of the spectral reflectance of metallic mirrors in low-density Ar–H or Ar–D plasmas. The spectral reflectance coefficients were measured for C, Al, Ag, Fe, Pd, Ti, Sn, Rh, Mo, and W mirrors installed in the linear magnetized plasma device PSI-2 operating in the pressure range of 0.01-0.1 Pa. The results are obtained for the Hα line using the emission of fast atoms induced by excitation of H atoms through Ar at a plasma-solid interface by applying a negative potential U = −80, …, −220 V to the mirror. The agreement between the measured and theoretical data of reflectance is found to be within 10% for the investigated materials (except for C). The spectra also allow us to efficiently determine the material of the mirror

Wall conditioning at the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator operating with a graphite divertor

Wall conditioning plays an important role in achieving record plasma performance on the superconducting stellarator Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) by controlling plasma density and maintaining low levels of impurities. The development of the optimal wall conditioning strategy is of high importance for successful operation of the W7-X with a graphite divertor. The current strategy consists of initial wall conditioning applied prior to a physics experimental program and wall conditioning techniques executed during the plasma operation phase. The combination of baking and glow discharge cleaning provides a fast start to reliable plasma operation. Regular boronisation opens a new operational window of high plasma densities above 1 * 10(20) m(-3). Strong wall fueling remains, however, one of the main issues preventing plasma density control. A reliable solution is provided by application of He electron cyclotron resonance heating pulse trains, which are optimised to maximise fuel removal

Wall conditioning throughout the first carbon divertor campaign on Wendelstein 7-X

Controlling the recycling of hydrogen and the release of impurities from the plasma facing components proved to be essential and challenging throughout the first divertor campaign on W7-X. This paper discusses the conditioning requirements throughout the first divertor campaign on Wendelstein 7-X. Baking at 150°C and glow discharge conditioning (GDC) in H2 is performed after the initial pump down of the vacuum vessel. Experimental programs in hydrogen are interlaced with He discharges to desaturate the wall from hydrogen, recover good recycling conditions and hence establish plasma density control. Optimized He ECRH wall conditioning procedures consisted of sequences of short discharges with fixed duty cycle. He-GDC remained however needed before each experimental day to fully offset the hydrogen inventory build-up. A significant increase in the divertor temperature is observed throughout an operational day, enhancing outgassing of CO and H2O. Preliminary recombination-diffusion modelling of hydrogen outgassing suggests enhanced diffusion to deeper surface layers with increasing wall temperature, which results in better wall pumping. This indicates that the experienced plasma performance degradation throughout an operational day results from increased impurity outgassing at higher wall temperature rather than hydrogen saturation of the wall