Alcator C-Mod Weekly Highlights
			  December 20, 2004


FY 2005 weeks of research operation planned: 14 weeks, completed: 0 weeks.

We are currently up-to-air with the primary goal of installing the
lower hybrid launcher.  In addition, a large number of in-vessel
activities are ongoing in support of ICRF and diagnostic systems.
Maintenance and upgrades to diagnostic and power systems are also in
progress.


Physics
-------

Several task force meetings have been held over the past week to set
priorities and start the mini-proposal process for the next run
campaign.  Status information can be found at

http://www.psfc.mit.edu/cmod/sciprogram/ideas2005/Mirror_agenda/Task_Force_Lists.htm


Operations
----------

Work continued on preparing alternator, power, and bus instrumentation
systems for the next run period.  We also continued work on new
fabrications or upgrades to polarimeter, TCI, MSE, TNPA, Langmuir
probe, and firewire camera diagnostics.


ICRF System
-----------

Work continued preparing the FMIT transmitters for operation including
installation of new final amplifier tubes.  We also continued work on
the fast ferrite tuner power supply.


Lower Hybrid System
-------------------

All four MIT couplers have now been brazed, are leak-tight, and are
being prepared for installation on the forward waveguide. The forward
waveguide will then be installed in our vacuum test stand, baked, and
a final leak-check will be performed by early next week.

The rwg (rear waveguide) section of the lower hybrid launcher has been
moved into the C-Mod cell.  Cable trays needed to route cables to the
rwg and rf probes from the instrumentation racks have been installed
and cables are being run.  We continued work on the rf probes.  A
smaller more symmetric design for the forward-most probes has been
developed and will be tested in the next few days.  Work also
continued on the control and protection systems for the klystrons and
couplers.


Long Pulse DNB System
---------------------

The new control rack for the DNB has been moved to the cell. The DNB
PLC has been installed in the rack. The DNB control computer has been
set up in the cell and connected to Ethernet.


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

We have completed assembly of a disruption-hardened linear polarizer
that can be rotated in front of the in-vessel MSE optics.  This
modification provides the capability to accurately determine the
effects of Faraday rotation of the entire MSE optical chain plus the
effect of birefringence at the vacuum window.  The unit will be baked
over the weekend and installed this week prior to final in-vessel
calibration of the MSE diagnostic.

Six retro-reflectors needed for the polarimeter diagnostic have been
installed in-vessel on the inner wall.


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

Randy Wilson, PPPL, visited last Thursday and Friday for discussions
on the lower hybrid system.  He presented a talk on power absorption
during high harmonic wave current drive and heating on NSTX at the
PSFC seminar.
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