Alcator C-Mod Weekly Highlights
                        February 1, 2010

FY2010 weeks of research operations
   Base Target: tbd
   Base Completed: 2.5 weeks
   ARRA Target: 5 weeks
   ARRA Completed: 5.0 weeks
   Plasma Shots: 889

Operations
-----------

Last week was a scheduled maintenance week at Alcator C-Mod. No experiments
were scheduled.

Plasma operations are planned to resume this week.

Program Planning
----------------

A meeting of the Experimental Program Committee was held on Monday to review
new experimental proposals. Four MPs for studying boundary-layer heat flux,
L-H threshold, ELM triggering and edge fluctuations were approved.

The Alcator C-Mod Program Advisory Committee (PAC) met at MIT on Wednesday
through Friday last week.  Members of the PAC include Rich Hawryluk (PPPL,
Chair), Alain Becoulait (CEA), Alberto Loarte (IO), George Sips (JET), Steve
Knowlton (Auburn), Craig Petty (GA), Troy Carter (UCLA), and Richard
Fitzpatrick (IFS, U. Texas). Mark Foster and Nermol Podder represented the
USDoE OFES. Links to the presentations to the PAC by C-Mod researchers can be
found at http://www.psfc.mit.edu/research/alcator/pubs/Cmod_PAC_2010.html

Following the conclusion of the PAC meeting, a C-Mod quarterly review was held
at MIT on Friday, Jan. 29. Participating in the review discussions were Earl
Marmar, Miklos Porkolab, Randy Wilson, and Mark Foster. There were no formal
presentations.



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

Verification and documentation of the RSView/PLC interface to the ICRF
transmitters was carried out.

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

We continue efforts to qualify the clean-up procedure for the new LH
launcher. High power testing was successfully conducted on two test
waveguide-window assemblies which had been ultrasonically cleaned after being
intentionally contaminated during welding. Both samples were operated
repeatedly at power densities exceeding those expected during normal
operation of the launcher, with no incidence of arcing.

A sensor capable of measuring ultrasonic waves was brought into operation last
Friday.  It will be used to measure the sound intensity profile in an array of
waveguides intended to model the launcher.





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