Alcator C-Mod Weekly Highlights
                June 8, 2009
                 
FY2009 weeks of research operations:
 Target: TBD
 Completed:  0 weeks



Operations
----------

Last Thursday the alternator was successfully spun up to 500 RPM and all
instrumentation was verified for proper operation.  On Friday, while
again at 500 RPM, excitation was applied successfully generating
approximately 3 kV across the stator windings, consistent with the low
rotation speed.  We expect to stage the alternator to full speed (1710
RPM) over the next few days.

In-vessel calibrations and alignments continued last week on CXRS,
bolometry, visible bremsstrahlung, scanning probes, and other diagnostic
systems.  New spectroscopic views of the GH limiter have been verified
by back-lighting the fibers and projecting light directly onto the
limiter:

http://www.psfc.mit.edu/research/alcator/photos//INVESSEL/2009/GH_limiter_spectro_mapping.jpg


Work continued on CRYO, HEAT, ECDC, bus work, and other engineering
systems needed for operation.  Installation of the outer divertor
modules was completed over the weekend, as was the neutron calibration.
Final in-vessel clean-up and documentation is in progress in preparation
for pump-down.


Lower Hybrid Systems
--------------------

We continued work on the coupler protection system software with tree
modifications to the MDSPlus tree and development of the user interface
program.  Fabrication of components for the the 2nd launcher continued.
Waveguide/vacuum window component production brazing continued as did
electron beam welding of these components to the 4-way splitters.


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

Several of our engineers presented posters at the 36th International
Conference on Plasma Science (ICOPS) and 23rd Symposium on Fusion
Engineering (SOFE) last week in San Diego. Rick Murray presented work he
has done on the "Upgrade of the ICRF Fault and Control Systems On
Alcator C-Mod".  Alan Binus discussed "An Intermediate Power Amplifier
Upgrade for 40 to 80 MHz Operation of the Alcator C-Mod ICRF
Transmitters".  Peter Koert presented a poster on the design of our new
4-strap antenna entitled "New Alcator C-Mod Rotated 10 Degree 4-Strap
ICRF Antenna".  The author index and link to abstracts for these
presentations may be found at

http://www.npss-confs.org/icops-sofe/Program/AuthorIndex.asp

Alan Binus also visited our vendor for new klystrons and replacement
ICRF tubes while on the West Coast where he received a detailed update
on the status of these components.

_______________________________________________
Cmod_weekly mailing list
Cmod_weekly@lists.psfc.mit.edu
http://lists.psfc.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/cmod_weekly