Alcator C-Mod Weekly Highlights
			    January 8, 2007


FY2007 weeks of research operations:
   tentative target: 15 weeks
   Completed: 0 weeks


Physics
-------

Several C-Mod Ideas Forum follow-up meetings took place last week on
ICRF, Transport, Divertor/Edge, and Integrated Scenarios (ITER H-mode
baseline). All were available for remote participation by video
conference. Participating off-site institutions included U. Texas, GA,
and PPPL.  Additional follow-on meetings are scheduled for this week
on MHD, Lower Hybrid, Diagnostics and Operations, and the Integrated
Scenarios (Advanced Scenarios) thrust.  The schedule for the meetings
can be found at

http://www.psfc.mit.edu/cmod/sciprogram/ideas2007/


Operations
----------

The cryopump shim plates have been installed in-vessel and will be
torqued down following installation of other components.  The upper
chamber Rogowski coils were also installed last week with cabling for
the new coils to be installed this week.

The shutter assembly for the polarimeter retro-reflectors has been
successfully operated in-vacuum a sufficient number of cycles to
indicate a long lifetime relative to a C-Mod campaign.  The in-vessel
installation of the tubing required to operate the shutter is also
complete.

Installation of the new liquid nitrogen feedlines, and GN2 exhaust
system refurbishment continued last week.


Long Pulse Diagnostic Neutral Beam
----------------------------------

The DNB has been moved back into position at F-Port and aligned to its
new toroidal angle of 7 degrees.  Re-connection of subsystems has
begun, and installation of beam duct components including the ceramic
break, bellows, and gate valve will begin soon.  Diagnostic
installation on F-Port horizontal flange continues.


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

Klystron conditioning for the next run campaign was completed last
week with all twelve lower hybrid klystrons operating for half-second
pulses at at least 230 kW each.

Our investigation of the faulted klystron circulator indicates that
partial braze flow at the joints between waveguide flanges and the
circulator housing resulted in below spec operation of this component.
Several other circulators may have similar issues.  We are now in
communication with the vendor.

Work continued on the klystron test stand as equipment enclosures and
instrumentation boards were completed and testing was begun.


ICRF Systems
------------

The J-Port horizontal flange has been installed and passed its first
leakcheck.  E-Port horizontal flange installation has begun.

Cabling for the Fast-Ferrite-Tuner (FFT) is now in-house and being
installed, and the FFT interlock board is ready to test as soon as
field programmable gate array programming is done.  Tests of
the system with the magnet supplies will then be possible.


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

Xinjun Zhang, a visiting graduate student from ASIPP, China, completed
an 8-month visit to the C-Mod group. He worked with Paul Bonoli and
John Wright using the TORIC code to study the ICRF physics scenarios
on the new EAST tokamak in ASIPP.
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