NSTX Diagnostics and Operation: Status and Plans
Authors: M.G. Bell, R.E. Bell, B.P. LeBlanc, S.S. Medley and the NSTX Research Team
Date of PPPL Report: August 2001
Presented at: the Joint Meeting of the Second IAEA Technical Committee Meeting on Spherical Tori and the Seventh International Spherical Torus Workshop at the National Space Research Institute, Sao Jose dos Campos, SP, Brazil on 1-3 August 2001. To be published in the proceedings of these joint meetings.
The low aspect ratio and low magnetic field of the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) create many challenges for plasma diagnostics and control as well as opportunities for studying new plasma phenomena. This paper describes the diagnostics now installed for studies of confinement, stability and edge plasma phenomena, and some of the diagnostic developments planned for the near future. The design of the plasma control system and plans for its development are also presented.