Alcator C-Mod Weekly Highlights
               February 17, 2009


FY2009 weeks of research operations:
  Target: TBD
  Completed:  0 weeks


Physics
-------

Igor Bespamyatnov, UT-FRC, made a presentation at the C-Mod Science
Meeting on the "Wide-view CXRS system: Status, Results and Proposed
Upgrades."  Igor is doing this work with William Rowan and Kenneth Liao,
both also UT-FRC. The presentation summarized results on light impurity
density, ion temperature, light impurity rotation, and radial electric
field from the last two campaigns. These results will be followed up
during the next campaign using diagnostic upgrades which include higher
throughput optics, and a BES diagnostic which will improve measurement
of the DNB density. The goals of the research are a better understanding
of light impurity transport in all discharge regimes and radial electric
field measurements in the vicinity of internal transport barriers. The
upgrades will also improve support for other C-Mod research.


Operations
----------

After the successful removal of a ring sample from the collector end of
the alternator rotor core, equipment has been set up on the turbine end,
and machining of the ring sample at that location has begun.  Detailed
ultrasonic, magnetic particle, and x-ray tests have been made of the
collector end sample, and we are preparing to section the sample for
tensile and crack growth tests.

All TF arm to TF core spring-plates have been installed, and we have
begun installation of the TF vertical legs.  We continue work on the
boots that seal the cryostat around the vacuum flange penetrations.  The
horizontal boots are complete, and work has begun on the vertical port
boots.


Lower Hybrid System
-------------------
 
We continued fabrication of the lower hybrid launcher with production of
4-way splitter and coupler waveguide components. The design of the rf
probe system electronics also continued, and low loss in-vessel cabling
for the probes is being procured. Details of the jungle gym components
to feed power to the launcher are being documented, and preparations
made for procurement of new components.  A meeting was held with our
vendor to discuss progress on the Phase II SBIR supporting the
transmitter protection system (TPS) upgrade.


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

Work continued on installation and testing of the solid-state
intermediate power amplifier (IPA) last week.  The IPA is running into a
dummy load under local control.  We also continued work on the ICRF
control system upgrade as design of the rf master fault processor nears
completion.


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

C.S. Chang, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, NYU, visited
last week and met with Brian LaBombard, Amanda Hubbard, Jerry Hughes,
Ken Marr, and Noah Smick.  They discussed the present and future
capabilities of XGC-1, and plans for modeling C-Mod discharges.

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