Alcator C-Mod Weekly Highlights
                        January 3, 2011

FY2011 weeks of research operations
   Target: 15 weeks
   Completed: 7.18 weeks
   Plasma Shots: 868

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

Last week was a maintenance week at Alcator C-Mod. No plasma operation was
scheduled.

A short clean vent with a helium backfill was carried out on Wednesday, in
order to install a gate valve for a new diagnostic view and to clean a
window. Following the vent, the tokamak was pumped down and we began electron
cyclotron discharge cleaning (ECDC) and a 60C bake.

A faulted regulator has been replaced in the diborane system, and tests in
helium indicate the system is working properly again.


Plasma operations are planned to resume this week.

Run Planning
-------------

A meeting of the Experimental Program Committee was held on 12/20. Plans and
priorities for the balance of the FY11 campaign were discussed. A
comprehensive run plan is now under development. Two Miniproposals were
reviewed and approved.


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

We are machining mounting details into the first 3 of the 8 bridge pieces that
will be brazed to the current straps, and have begun machining the fastening
details in the straps.  The fabrication drawings for short strip lines, to be
brazed to straps 2 and 3, are being completed and will be sent to outside
vendors for quote.  The nicrobraze ribbon for brazing is now in-house.  A
purchase order for the plating tank has been issued.  The inconel plates for
top, bottom, and side plates have arrived and await certified fabrication
drawings to begin manufacturing.  The remaining three rolled backplates have
been annealed, and are now in-house.  The tensile test specimens have been cut
from the TZM molybdenum block purchased for manufacturing tiles.


Diagnostic Neutral Beam System
------------------------------

The cause of high voltage faulting in one of the DNB cabinets when operating
above 47 kV was identified and eliminated, allowing resumption of full voltage
operation at 50 kV.

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