Newsgroups: sci.physics.plasma
From IRBY@CMOD2.PFC.MIT.EDU Tue Jul 9 21:03:34 1996
From: IRBY@CMOD2.PFC.MIT.EDU
Organization: MIT
Subject: Alcator C-MOD Weekly Highlights

Alcator C-MOD Weekly Highlights
July 9, 1996

We are now working to close up the vessel and pump down
by the end of this week. A great deal of work has been done in the
last few days including diagnostic calibrations and alignments, and
installation of glow discharge, tangential interferometer, shutter, edge
Thomson scattering, and divertor gas puff components. We have also begun
to bring engineering systems such as bus instrumentation, vessel heaters
and thermocouples, oxygen monitors, and access control back on-line.
The alternator was brought up to full speed last week. We
found that the rotor alignment was still not acceptable, and we are now
working with GE (prime contractor for the inspection) to make
adjustments.
Difficulties in the installation of the support studs for the
cryopump and its 300K shield have delayed this project somewhat. These
issues are now resolved, and we are proceeding as quickly as possible.
The glow discharge coaxes have been installed invessel and fitups
of the the electrodes completed successfully. Final installation will
occur as soon as the cryopump installation is complete.
Ferrites have been installed on one of our X2274 final amplifier
tubes which had exhibited high-frequency parasitic oscillations.
Similar problems were observed in X2274 tubes at PPPL and were corrected
in the same way. If this fix is successful, other tubes will be
checked for parasitic oscillations and fixed if necessary. This change will
make operation possible with any of our spare final amplifier tubes.
During the last week, we have also continued installation of new RF
transmitter components. The final amplifier cavity for transmitter #3
has been assembled and placed in position in the power room. Mounting
configurations for coaxial switches, the dummy load, and tuners are being
finalized.
Work continues on various aspects of the Texas/MIT collaboration.
Vinny Bertolino and Joe Bosco continued their visit at the
University of Texas Fusion Research Center last week. They spent most
of their time discussing documentation with both current and former
FRC staff members. They now feel confident that some of the major DNB
components are sufficiently well documented for disassembly to begin.
Working with FRC personnel, we have also developed a shipping schedule
and work list that will deliver DNB components to MIT as quickly as available
manpower will allow. FRC scientists have also begun work on the optics
needed to couple their 1st harmonic O-mode radiometer to our ECE
beamline. This radiometer will be used to study electron temperature
fluctuations.
We were delighted to learn that four invited talks will be given
on Alcator C-Mod results at the next APS meeting in Denver:

P. Bonoli, Electron heating via Mode Converted Ion Bernstein Waves in the
Alcator C-Mod tokamak

G. M. McCracken, Impurity Screening in Ohmic and H-Mode Plasmas
in the Alcator C-Mod Tokamak

J. Rice, Observations of Parallel and Perpendicular Impurity Transport
from Alcator C-Mod Plasmas

Y. Takase, ICRF-heated Enhanced Confinement Modes in the Alcator C-Mod
Tokamak