PULSED SUPERSONIC HELIUM BEAMS FOR PLASMA EDGE DIAGNOSIS

An experimental setup for the production of pulsed supersonic He beams to be used for plasma edge diagnosis in fusion devices is described. A compromise between compact design, low cost, and good quality of the probe beams has been met. The main characteristics of the generated b eams, such as pulse shape, absolute flux intensity, and velocity distr ibution, differ in general from those expected for ideal beam performa nce and have been determined and optimized experimentally. A first tes t of this He beam source at the TJ-I UP Torsatron in Madrid is also re ported. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.