Alcator C-Mod Weekly Highlights
             November 13th, 2007
				

FY2008 weeks of research operations:
     Target: TBD
     Completed: 0 weeks


Physics
-------

Forty-four C-Mod scientists and graduate students are attending the DPP
APS meeting in Orlando, Florida this week.  Four invited orals, 13
contributed orals, and 27 posters will be presented on C-Mod results.
The presentations may be found at

http://www.psfc.mit.edu/research/alcator/pubs/APS/APS2007/orlando2007index.htm


Operations
----------

In-vessel alignments, calibrations, clean-up, and documentation were
finished on Wednesday evening, and Alcator C-Mod was pumped down. Vacuum
conditions at this point look very good.  Engineering systems are back
on-line and C-Mod is being prepared for a 120C bake and electron
cyclotron discharge cleaning.

During the up-to-air period we have reconditioned the lower hybrid
launcher, added new in-vessel flux loops, and made major improvements to
the MSE in-vessel collection optics.  We have also upgraded our
bolometry systems, modified the polarimeter shutter and window,
installed gas feed-lines on the lower hybrid limiters, cleaned in-vessel
optics, and realigned and re-calibrated diagnostics as required.
Routine maintenance of the alternator, power supplies, and other
engineering systems have been completed, and these systems are being
prepared for operation.


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

Re-calibration of the launcher instrumentation has begun.  This process
is required because of the extensive work done on the launcher during
the up-to-air period.

We continued development of a simulation of the 4-way splitter using a
cold plasma model to model reflections.  A decision has been made to use
this splitter in the new launcher design as it provides more flexibility
in control of the launched spectrum compared to the 8-way splitter.


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

New cabling for the pre-amplifiers that drive the transmitters has been
completed. An approximately 0.5 db improvement in signal level has been
realized with this change.  Transmission line components supplying power
to the antennas are being re-installed.  C-Mod cycle tests were run last
week to check operation of the upgraded rf control system as we prepared
this new instrumentation for operation.


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

On October 26th, Alex Squitieri, University of Wisconsin, Madison, who
works on the MST experiment, visited Tom Fredian and Joshua Stillerman
to discuss Mdsplus and data system infrastructure.

Approximately thirty executives from the French oil and gas company
TOTAL visited the PSFC on Monday of this week and were given a tour of
C-Mod.

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