Alcator C-Mod Weekly Highlights Jan 30, 2006 FY2006 weeks of research operations: Planned: 14 weeks Completed: 4 weeks Operations ---------- A 120 C bake of the C-Mod vessel together with ECDC continued all last week and throughout the weekend. On Monday, the bake temperature was reduced, ECDC was stopped, and a full machine leak-check was begun. Preparations of the alternator, magnet power supplies, ICRF systems, and other engineering systems for plasma operation will continue this week. The planned operations schedule can be found at http://www.psfc.mit.edu/research/alcator/data/operation2006.pdf Physics ------- On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of last week the 2006 Alcator C-Mod Program Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting was held at MIT. On the committee this year are Rich Groebner (chair), GA, Chuck Kessel, PPPL, Brian Lloyd, UKAEA Culham, Dale Meade, PPPL, Mike Ulrickson, Sandia, Jim Van Dam, U. Texas, and Dennis Whyte, U. of Wisconsin. Adam Rosenberg, OFES program manager, represented DoE as an ex-officio member of the PAC. Yuichi Takase, University of Tokyo, who is also on the committee, was unable to attend. Links to the presentations made to the PAC by the C-Mod team may be found at http://www.psfc.mit.edu/research/alcator/pubs/CMOD_PAC_2006/index.html A DoE quarterly review was held at MIT on Friday, January 27. In attendance were Adam Rosenberg (OFES), Earl Marmar, Steve Wukitch, Jim Irby and Miklos Porkolab. Since the PAC meeting had just concluded, there were no additional presentations. Discussion topics included the previously reported successful completion of the first quarterly target for FY2006 (Operate J-port ICRF antenna with Faraday screen removed, with at least 2 MW launched power: compare heating and impurity generation to previous results obtained with the Faraday screen), and current facility status. Lower Hybrid System ------------------- We continued re-cabling and re-installing ex-vessel microwave components on the lower hybrid launcher last week. Work on the 3rd harmonic fault detectors also continued. Cabling is being fabricated, and lower hybrid microwave components are being characterized at the 13.8 GHz, 3rd harmonic frequency. A detailed simulation of the lower hybrid launcher feed system is being used to determine the sensitivity of the 3db rear waveguide splitter to changes in the water load parameters. Initial results indicate that the loads must be well matched to avoid a 1 db imbalance in the 3db split. ICRF Systems ------------ All ICRF transmitters are ready for plasma operations. Testing of the fast-ferrite-tuners continued last week. The tuner phase-shift verses frequency and magnet current has been carefully mapped out for tuner #2. New programmable demodulators needed for the FFT system are being fabricated and calibrated. Long Pulse DNB -------------- Work on the reconfiguration of the DNB high voltage supply fuse system progressed last week. A new design for the fuse system has been completed and cabling and other components are being fabricated and installed or re-mounted. IGBTs are being replaced as required. Travel and Visits ----------------- Steve Eckstrand, DoE, attended the PAC meeting last week, as did Rich Hawryluk, PPPL. Brian Lloyd, a new PAC member this year, gave a PSFC seminar on Friday afternoon entitled MAST: Recent Progress and Future Plans. _______________________________________________ Cmod_weekly mailing list Cmod_weekly@lists.psfc.mit.edu http://lists.psfc.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/cmod_weekly