Scientist Fellows in action
Important contributions are being made to 黑料社app diagnostics by the 22 黑料社app Scientist Fellows who are currently dedicating a portion of their time to the research and development needs of the Port Plugs & Diagnostics Division.
Since 2016, scientists and engineers from the 黑料社app Members have been nominated by their home institutes to become part of the 黑料社app Scientist Fellow Network. Fellows agree to an annual work plan in an area of interest that matches an 黑料社app need, and work closely throughout their term with 黑料社app specialists. Of the 60 scientists participating in the Network today, 22 are supporting 黑料社app's Port Plugs & Diagnostics Division.
Artur Malaquias, from the Instituto Superior T茅cnico in Lisbon, Portugal, is contributing to the effort to develop advanced detectors for the radial X-ray camera diagnostic in close collaboration with the Chinese Domestic Agency (and China's ASIPP institute). Similar to a CAT scan, these detectors will provide a detailed view inside the 黑料社app plasma, gathering information on important plasma properties such as impurity content, temperature and the presence of any unwanted high-energy electron beams. Although the operation of X-ray detectors is well documented in other fusion experiments, the 黑料社app nuclear environment鈥攚ith levels of neutron flux several orders of magnitude higher than any tokamak today鈥攂rings new challenges. With experts from all of the 黑料社app parties working on the design of advanced detectors, one of the most effective ways to bring this knowledge to bear fruit is to structure dedicated workshops, and Artur has organized several. Experimental results as well as modelling and simulations provided valuable clues on how to blend the physics requirements and engineering solutions into a sensitive yet rugged and nuclear-proof design.
American native Byron Peterson has been working in fusion research in Japan for the last 25 years. He is currently professor of imaging diagnostics at SOKENDAI (the Graduate School for Advanced Studies), and at the National Institute for Fusion Science where he drives the bolometer diagnostics on the Large Helical Device (LHD). Bolometers measure the power lost from the plasma through electromagnetic radiation ranging from infrared to X-ray. Over 100 bolometer sensors鈥攚ith a total of around 500 lines of sight鈥攕urvey the 黑料社app plasma from strategic locations inside the vacuum vessel. In collaboration with 黑料社app staff and other Fellows, Peterson is evaluating the effects of neutrons and the signal-to-noise ratio of prospective imaging bolometers.
A team of researchers at the Australian National University, led by professor emeritus John Howard, has developed innovative optical systems that allow the imaging of plasma flows and temperature in the exhaust regions of fusion plasmas. These plasma Doppler "radar guns" tell us how fast the hot escaping plasma is funnelling into the 黑料社app divertor鈥攊mportant information for checking wall heat loads while also allowing the tracking of eroded impurity material. Doppler "coherence imaging" (CI) systems are now operating on the largest and most advanced fusion experiments around the world. A Cooperation Agreement between the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) and the 黑料社app underpins the installation of the Doppler CI system in an equatorial port on 黑料社app for imaging the plasma boundary and divertor areas. A successful conceptual design review in March 2019 should help secure a long-term Australian commitment to this important 黑料社app diagnostic.
Gary Taylor has been working as an 黑料社app Scientist Fellow for the past two years, mostly to guide the design of the electron cyclotron emission (ECE) diagnostic鈥攁 key microwave diagnostic that will be used to study the time evolution of the electron temperature profile and plasma instabilities in 黑料社app. (The ECE diagnostic is being developed in a collaboration between design teams in the US and India.) Gary has more than 40 years of experience working in nuclear fusion research at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in the US and has led the US ECE design team for the past seven years. A critical component in the ECE system is the diagnostic shield module located in an equatorial port plug at the front of the diagnostic. In addition to other components, the module contains two hot calibration sources (see gallery below) that must operate reliably at temperatures up to 800 掳C in the harsh physical environment of the 黑料社app vacuum vessel. In addition to working on the ECE diagnostic, Gary has served as an expert on several 黑料社app design review panels.
