Estimation of the radial size and density fluctuation amplitude of edge localized modes using microwave interferometer array

A novel technique to estimate the range of radial size and density fluctuation amplitude of edge localized modes (ELMs) in the KSTAR tokamak plasma is presented. A microwave imaging reflectometry (MIR) system is reconfigured as a multi-channel microwave interferometer array (MIA) to measure the density fluctuations associated with ELMs, while electron cyclotron emission imaging (ECEI) system is used as a reference diagnostics to confirm the MIA observation. Two dimensional full-wave (FWR2D) simulations integrated with optics simulation are performed to investigate the Gaussian beam propagation and reflection through the plasma as well as the MIA optical components and obtain the interferometric phase undulations of individual channels at the detector plane due to ELM perturbation. The simulation results show that the amplitude of the phase undulation depends linearly on both radial size and density perturbation amplitude of ELM. For a typical discharge with ELMs, it is estimated that the ELM structure observed by the MIA system has density perturbation amplitude in the range similar to 7 % to 14 % while radial size in the range similar to 1 to 3 cmclos