Development of the 174 GHz collective Thomson scattering diagnostics at Wendelstein 7-X

In this paper, we present the design and commissioning results of the upgraded collective Thomson scattering diagnostic at the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator. The diagnostic has a new radiometer designed to operate between the second and third harmonics of the electron cyclotron emission from the plasma at 171-177 GHz, where the emission background has a minimum and is of order 10-100 eV. It allows us to receive the scattered electromagnetic field with a significantly improved signal-to-noise ratio and extends the set of possible scattering geometries compared to the case of the original instrument operated at 140 GHz. The elements of the diagnostic are a narrowband notch filter and a frequency stabilized probing gyrotron that will allow measuring scattered radiation spectra very close to the probing frequency. Here, we characterize the microwave components applied to the radiometer and demonstrate the performance of the complete system that was achieved during the latest experimental campaign, OP2.1.

Phased array Doppler reflectometry at Wendelstein 7-X

A passive phased array Doppler reflectometry system has recently been installed in the Wendelstein-7X stellarator. In contrast to conventional Doppler reflectometry systems, the microwave beam can be steered on short time scales in the measurement plane perpendicular to the magnetic field in the range of ±25° without mechanical steering components. This paper characterizes the design and properties of the phased array antenna system and presents the first measurement results from the latest OP1.2a campaign.

A mode converter to generate a Gaussian-like mode for injection into the VENUS electron cyclotron resonance ion source

A number of superconducting electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion sources use gyrotrons at either 24 or 28 GHz for ECR heating. In these systems, the microwave power is launched into the plasma using the TE01 circular waveguide mode. This is fundamentally different and may be less efficient than the typical rectangular, linearly polarized TE10 mode used for launching waves at lower frequencies. To improve the 28 GHz microwave coupling in VENUS, a TE01-HE11 mode conversion system has been built to test launching HE11 microwave power into the plasma chamber. The HE11 mode is a quasi-Gaussian, linearly polarized mode, which should couple strongly to the plasma electrons. The mode conversion is done in two steps. First, a 0.66 m long "snake" converts the TE01 mode to the TE11 mode. Second, a corrugated circular waveguide excites the HE11 mode, which is launched directly into the plasma chamber. The design concept draws on the development of similar devices used in tokamaks and stellerators. The first tests of the new coupling system are described below.