Newsgroups: sci.physics.plasma
From: WOLFE@CMOD2.PFC.MIT.EDU
Subject: Alcator C-MOD Weekly Highlights

Alcator C-MOD Weekly Highlights
October 26, 1994

Alcator C-MOD is nearing the end of the present maintenance/repair period.
Good progress has continued in readying the machine for resumed operation next
month.

All vertical port crosses have been installed. Connection of internal
diagnostic cables to feedthroughs on the vertical port flanges is well
underway. All gate valves on the upper vertical ports have been installed.

The cryostat and coil systems are being purged continuously with N2 gas from
the vaporizer. The cryogenics system and CRYO PLC control system are now
operational. All oxygen alarms were checked out and are operational.

The TF thermocouple scanner has been debugged and is now in operation. The
HEAT system is near the end of its checkout/debug cycle.

A modification has been made to the control circuitry of the chopper supply
used for fast vertical plasma position control. This modification should
improve response time and give a more linear response to demand voltages.
Testing of the supply into a dummy load is underway.

In-vessel work is continuing. The D-port ICRF antenna is now complete. All of
the new magnetics diagnostics associated with halo current monitoring are now
in place. A replacement flux loop for F17, which was found to be damaged
during the last campaign, has been installed. Cabling for two of the ten
divertor shunts was found to be faulty and is being replaced. Calibration of
the H-alpha diagnostic arrays is in progress.

A preliminary checkout of the neutron detection system using a small external
source was carried out. A full neutron calibration with a source inside the
machine is scheduled for this week.

All the igloo blocks are now in place. Equipment mounted on the igloo is now
being installed. Ex-vessel diagnostic systems are being re-positioned on the
diagnostic stand and readied for operation.

Dry runs for presentations at the APS Division of Plasma Physics Meeting are
taking place this week. Thirty-one posters, eleven contributed orals, and two
invited talks on Alcator C-MOD research are being presented, including eleven
posters by our outside collaborators.