Alcator C-Mod Weekly Highlights
                   June 1, 2010


Fy2010 weeks of research operations
    Base Target: 13 weeks
    Base Completed: 9.7 weeks
    ARRA Target: 5 weeks
    ARRA Completed: 5.0 weeks
    Plasma Shots: 1630


Plasma Surface Interactions Conference
--------------------------------------

Bruce Lipschultz, Brian LaBombard, Roman Ochoukov, Istvan Cziegler, Matt
Reinke, Noah Smick, Zak Hartwig, Dan Brunner, and Mike Garrett
(presenting a talk for Steve Wukitch), represented C-Mod at the Plasma
Surface Interactions Conference in San Diego, CA, last week.  Their
papers and posters from the conference may be found at

http://www.psfc.mit.edu/research/alcator/pubs/PSI/psi_index.htm


Operations
----------

Mechanical and electrical installations for the Alternator Cooling Water
Upgrade were completed last week.  Subsystems have been tested
individually where possible, and preparations are being made for full
system commissioning.

Nine out of ten outer divertor modules have been reinstalled in-vessel.
The ring of outer divertor tungsten tiles has been replaced with
molybdenum tiles.  The remaining divertor module, containing diagnostics
needed for the FY2010 OFES Joint Facility Milestone to conduct
experiments on major fusion facilities to improve understanding of the
heat transport in the tokamak scrape-off layer (SOL) plasma, is nearly
ready for installation.

Installation of the MSE diagnostic has been completed and calibrations
begun.  Installations and calibrations of other in-vessel diagnostics
are proceeding.

The transition to the new C-Mod disk server and array is now complete.
In this step, user files (/home), software (/usr/local/cmod +) and
diskless roots were moved.  The old servers will be retired and the old
disk array will be used for user scratch space.


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

Following Pat MacGibbon's trip to witness testing of our new klystrons,
and several discussions with the vendor, we agreed to accept delivery of
the first three of seven klystrons, and they were shipped from the
vendor last Thursday.  The remaining four are scheduled for delivery in
early CY2011.  These klystrons were purchased under ARRA funding.

Much of last week was spent installing conduit, cabling, intermediate
couplers, and splitters associated with the new lower hybrid launcher.


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

The FMIT#3 driver tube has been replaced and has been operated
successfully to full power (~120 kW). This transmitter is ready for
final tuning in preparation for the next run period.


Travel and Remote Participation
-------------------------------

Ian Hutchinson is on a 3-week visit to IPP Greifswald, Germany, to
collaborate with Olaf Grulke, Thomas Klinger, and other scientists at
the Institute and at the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University. He presented an
Institute Colloquium on "Flowing plasmas and ion-collecting objects",
and three lectures on Plasma Diagnostics as part of the International
Max-Planck Research School on Bounded Plasmas.

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