From: irby@PSFC.MIT.EDU
Reply-To: IRBY@PSFC.MIT.EDU
Subject: Alcator C-Mod Weekly Highlights
Newsgroups: sci.physics.plasma
Organization: MIT

Alcator C-Mod Weekly Highlights
June 14, 2002



While many Alcator C-Mod staff members attended the National Tokamak
Workshop this week, work continued on rf, Lower Hybrid MIE, and DNB
systems. Plasma operation will continue next week.


U.S. Tokamak Planning Workshop
------------------------------

The Workshop was held in San Diego at General Atomics from June 10 to 12.
Presentations were given by both GA and MIT staff scientists covering
results from the last five year grant period, and our plans for the future.
Discussions held at the meeting provided very useful input to the plans
of both programs.

Miklos Porkolab along with Ronald Stambaugh gave introductory remarks
and welcomes at the beginning of the workshop.

Eight talks were given covering Alcator C-Mod results and plans:

C-Mod Program Overview Earl Marmar
C-Mod Advanced Tokamak Program Amanda Hubbard
Alcator C-Mod Support for a Burning Plasma Experiment Ian Hutchinson
Enabling Technology on Alcator C-Mod Jim Irby
C-Mod Transport Program Martin Greenwald
MHD Research Program on Alcator C-Mod Bob Granetz
Divertor and Edge Physics Bruce Lipschultz
C-Mod RF Research Plans Steve Wukitch

All Alcator C-Mod presentations from the workshop can be found at

http://www.psfc.mit.edu/cmod/sciprogram/National_Workshop2002/Presentations

In addition, a whitepaper describing the Alcator Program results and plans
can be found at

http://www.psfc.mit.edu/cmod/sciprogram/National_Workshop2002/whitepaper.pdf


Lower Hybrid MIE Project
------------------------

The newly commissioned high voltage power supply was used this week for
high voltage tests of the four klystrons in transmitter #3. High voltage
pulses, 100 to 200 microseconds long, without rf drive, were used while fault
protection circuits were fully checked out.


ICRF
----

S-parameter measurements for all antennas and loops have been completed.
Installation of coax hardware, resonant loops, and DC breaks continued in
the cell. Installation of the new rf control system began in the cell
this week.


RFX DNB
-------

Conditioning shots for the RFX DNB continued through the week. After
regeneration of the cryo pumps over the weekend, the un-neutralized
beam current was returned to 4 A after approximately 30 shots.
Components for the automatic liquid nitrogen fill system for the cryo
pumps have begun to arrive.


Diagnostics
-----------

The FRC ECE radiometer is fully installed. Many diagnostics including
the H-to-D spectrometer, visible bremsstralung, two color interferometer,
ECE spectrometers, and video systems are coming back online for the
run campaign.


Travel and Visits
-----------------

Representing Alcator C-Mod at the U.S. Tokamak Planning Workshop were
Bob Granetz, Martin Greenwald, Amanda Hubbard, Ian Hutchinson, Jim Irby,
Bruce Lipschultz, Earl Marmar, Ron Parker, Miklos Porkolab, and Steve Wukitch.
In addition many of our collaborators attended including Bill Rowan, UTexas,
and from PPPL, Joel Hosea, Dale Meade, Raffi Nazikian, and Ned Sauthoff.
Earl Oktay, Rostom Dagazian, and John Willis represented DoE.

Following the Tokamak Workshop, Bruce Lipschultz had discussions with
Dennis Whyte on radial transport in the SOL, and Amanda Hubbard visited UCSD
and had discussions with Pat Diamond and his group regarding a new
collaboration on improving pedestal models. She also gave a seminar on
Thursday entitled "Formation and Structure of Edge Transport Barriers
on Alcator C-Mod".


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