P. Hacek

53982955200

Publications - 17

Atomic Beam Probe Synthetic Diagnostic in the COMPASS Tokamak and Its Application in Fusion Plasmas

Publication Name: Fusion Science and Technology

Publication Date: 2025-01-01

Volume: Unknown

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

The atomic beam probe (ABP) is a beam diagnostic concept that opens opportunities in plasma edge measurements due to the sensitivity of the magnetic field and the high temporal resolution. The first ABP has been installed and is operating on the COMPASS tokamak. A new numerical toolset, which is the subject of this paper, was required to model the diagnostic to accurately detect the alkali beam. For further development and understanding of the diagnostic, this tool had to be designed to simulate different magnetic field configurations in a performance-efficient manner. The TAIGA synthetic diagnostic (TAIGA-SD), which was implemented with a massively parallel trajectory solver core that runs on graphic cards to support experiments, provides a better understanding of measurements and has opened opportunities for future applications. This paper presents the model concept with relevant physical processes and necessary simplifications. The submodules implemented or integrated into the synthetic diagnostic are explained and described, and their scopes of validity are highlighted. This includes the integration of RENATE-OD for the primary ionization radial distribution for lithium beams, as well as the implementation and verification of a combined electron impact and charge exchange ionization module for other alkaline beams, which is a new atomic physics solver. Calculations were performed to investigate the relation between magnetic field, electron density, and temperature perturbations. Further simulations were run to estimate beam attenuation due to secondary ionization. The utilization of the ABP synthetic diagnostic is demonstrated by comparing it with the measurements.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1080/15361055.2025.2511540

Overview of the COMPASS results

Publication Name: Nuclear Fusion

Publication Date: 2022-04-01

Volume: 62

Issue: 4

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

COMPASS addressed several physical processes that may explain the behaviour of important phenomena. This paper presents results related to the main fields of COMPASS research obtained in the recent two years, including studies of turbulence, L-H transition, plasma material interaction, runaway electron, and disruption physics: Tomographic reconstruction of the edge/SOL turbulence observed by a fast visible camera allowed to visualize turbulent structures without perturbing the plasma. Dependence of the power threshold on the X-point height was studied and related role of radial electric field in the edge/SOL plasma was identified. The effect of high-field-side error fields on the L-H transition was investigated in order to assess the influence of the central solenoid misalignment and the possibility to compensate these error fields by low-field-side coils. Results of fast measurements of electron temperature during ELMs show the ELM peak values at the divertor are around 80% of the initial temperature at the pedestal. Liquid metals were used for the first time as plasma facing material in ELMy H-mode in the tokamak divertor. Good power handling capability was observed for heat fluxes up to 12 MW m-2 and no direct droplet ejection was observed. Partial detachment regime was achieved by impurity seeding in the divertor. The evolution of the heat flux footprint at the outer target was studied. Runaway electrons were studied using new unique systems - impact calorimetry, carbon pellet injection technique, wide variety of magnetic perturbations. Radial feedback control was imposed on the beam. Forces during plasma disruptions were monitored by a number of new diagnostics for vacuum vessel (VV) motion in order to contribute to the scaling laws of sideways disruption forces for ITER. Current flows towards the divertor tiles, incl. possible short-circuiting through PFCs, were investigated during the VDE experiments. The results support ATEC model and improve understanding of disruption loads.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1088/1741-4326/ac301f

Characterization of edge and scrape-off layer fluctuations using the fast Li-BES system on COMPASS

Publication Name: Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion

Publication Date: 2019-06-21

Volume: 61

Issue: 8

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

Recently the Lithium-Beam Emission Spectroscopy (Li-BES) system on COMPASS has reached its full diagnostic power in terms of routine automatic operation in any kind of plasma scenarios and it is normally used as a standard tool for reconstruction of ultra fast density profiles in the edge region of COMPASS plasmas. The purpose of this study is to investigate the advantages and limitations of the COMPASS Li-BES system in characterizing plasma electron density fluctuations. We show how the atomic physics of plasma-beam interactions can affect the interpretation of the measurement at different radial positions and for different electron density profiles. We also demonstrate the usability of generalized sequential probability ratio test for automatic event detection. Using non-perturbative diagnostic, we verify the validity of the stochastic Garcia-model for scrape-off layer filaments and accompanying holes (density deficits).

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1088/1361-6587/ab24a0

Plasma edge current fluctuation measurements during the ELM cycle with the atomic beam probe at COMPASS

Publication Name: 46th Eps Conference on Plasma Physics Eps 2019

Publication Date: 2019-01-01

Volume: Unknown

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

No description provided

Open Access: Yes

DOI: DOI not available

Automatic ELM detection and study of statistical ELM properties by Li-BES on COMPASS

Publication Name: 46th Eps Conference on Plasma Physics Eps 2019

Publication Date: 2019-01-01

Volume: Unknown

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

No description provided

Open Access: Yes

DOI: DOI not available

Fast density reconstruction of Li-BES signal on the COMPASS tokamak

Publication Name: Review of Scientific Instruments

Publication Date: 2018-11-01

Volume: 89

Issue: 11

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

This article describes a fast and automatic reconstruction of the edge plasma electron density from the radiation of energetic Li atoms of the diagnostic beam on the COMPASS tokamak. Radiation is detected by using a CCD camera and by using an avalanche photo-diode system with a temporal resolution of 20 ms and 2 μs, respectively. Both systems are equipped with a 670.8 nm optical filter which corresponds to the lithium 1s22s1-1s22p1 transition. A theoretical model and a data processing procedure of a raw signal to obtain the density profile are described. The reconstruction algorithm provides the absolutely calibrated electron density profiles together with the measurement error estimated from relatively calibrated light profiles; the implementation is performed in Python. Time demanding operations of the code were optimized to provide reconstruction of a single profile within less than 10 ms which makes the code applicable for processing of a large amount of data. Thanks to this calculation speed, it is possible to reconstruct electron density profiles between two consecutive shots on the COMPASS tokamak with 2 μs time resolution.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1063/1.5049894

Development of an ion beam detector for the atomic beam probe diagnostic

Publication Name: Review of Scientific Instruments

Publication Date: 2018-11-01

Volume: 89

Issue: 11

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

The atomic beam probe diagnostic concept aims at measuring the edge magnetic field and through that edge current distribution in fusion plasmas by observing trajectories of an ion beam stemming from a diagnostic neutral beam. The diagnostic potentially has microsecond scale time resolution and can thus prove to be a powerful option to study fast changes in the edge plasma. A test detector has been installed on the COMPASS tokamak as an extension of the existing lithium beam diagnostic system. It employs a relatively simple concept of an array of conductive detection plates measuring the incident ion current, which is then amplified and converted to a voltage signal. The aim of the test detector is to experimentally examine the idea of the diagnostic and provide background data for design and installation of a final detector. Also, a numerical code based on the CUDA parallel computing platform has been developed for modeling lithium ion trajectories in the given COMPASS plasma discharges. We present the developments of the detector design and test measurements of the diagnostic performed both in a laboratory beam system and on the COMPASS tokamak.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1063/1.5044529

Advanced neutral alkali beam diagnostics for applications in fusion research (invited)

Publication Name: Review of Scientific Instruments

Publication Date: 2018-10-01

Volume: 89

Issue: 10

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

Diagnosing the density profile at the edge of high temperature fusion plasmas by an accelerated lithium beam is a known technique since decades. By knowledge of the relevant atomic physics rate coefficients, the plasma electron density profile can be calculated from the relatively calibrated light profile along the beam. Several additional possibilities have already been demonstrated: Charge Exchange Resonance Spectroscopy (CXRS) for ion temperature/flow and Zeeman polarimetry for edge plasma current; therefore the Li-beam diagnostic offers a wealth of information at the plasma edge. The weaknesses of the method are the relatively faint light signal, background light, and technical difficulties of the beam injector which usually seriously limit the applicability. In this talk, we present systematic developments in alkali-beam diagnostics (Li, Na) for the injector and the observation system and detectors which resulted in strongly increased capabilities. Advanced systems have been built, and microsecond scale density profile, turbulence, and zonal flow measurement have been demonstrated. A novel edge current measurement technique has also been designed, and components have been tested with potential microsecond-scale time resolution. Additional possibilities of these advanced systems for spectral measurements (CXRS and various Zeeman schemes) are also discussed.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1063/1.5039309

Statistical analysis of SOL fluctuations on COMPASS tokamak as measured by the Li-BES diagnostic

Publication Name: 45th Eps Conference on Plasma Physics Eps 2018

Publication Date: 2018-01-01

Volume: 2018-July

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: 849-852

Description:

No description provided

Open Access: Yes

DOI: DOI not available

Atomic Beam Probe diagnostic for plasma edge current measurements at COMPASS

Publication Name: 45th Eps Conference on Plasma Physics Eps 2018

Publication Date: 2018-01-01

Volume: 2018-July

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: 1028-1031

Description:

No description provided

Open Access: Yes

DOI: DOI not available

Progress in diagnostics of the COMPASS tokamak

Publication Name: Journal of Instrumentation

Publication Date: 2017-12-07

Volume: 12

Issue: 12

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

The COMPASS tokamak at IPP Prague is a small-size device with an ITER-relevant plasma geometry and operating in both the Ohmic as well as neutral beam assisted H-modes since 2012. A basic set of diagnostics installed at the beginning of the COMPASS operation has been gradually broadened in type of diagnostics, extended in number of detectors and collected channels and improved by an increased data acquisition speed. In recent years, a significant progress in diagnostic development has been motivated by the improved COMPASS plasma performance and broadening of its scientific programme (L-H transition and pedestal scaling studies, magnetic perturbations, runaway electron control and mitigation, plasma-surface interaction and corresponding heat fluxes, Alfvenic and edge localized mode observations, disruptions, etc.). In this contribution, we describe major upgrades of a broad spectrum of the COMPASS diagnostics and discuss their potential for physical studies. In particular, scrape-off layer plasma diagnostics will be represented by a new concept for microsecond electron temperature and heat flux measurements - we introduce a new set of divertor Langmuir and ball-pen probe arrays, newly constructed probe heads for reciprocating manipulators as well as several types of standalone probes. Among optical tools, an upgraded high-resolution edge Thomson scattering diagnostic for pedestal studies and a set of new visible light and infrared (plasma-surface interaction investigations) cameras will be described. Particle and beam diagnostics will be covered by a neutral particle analyzer, diagnostics on a lithium beam, Cherenkov detectors (for a direct detection of runaway electrons) and neutron detectors. We also present new modifications of the microwave reflectometer for fast edge density profile measurements.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1088/1748-0221/12/12/C12015

Contribution to the multi-machine pedestal scaling from the COMPASS tokamak

Publication Name: Nuclear Fusion

Publication Date: 2017-04-06

Volume: 57

Issue: 5

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

First systematic measurements of pedestal structure during Ohmic and NBI-assisted Type I ELMy H-modes were performed on the COMPASS tokamak in two dedicated experimental campaigns during 2015 and 2016. By adjusting the NBI heating and a toroidal magnetic field, the electron pedestal temperature was increased from 200 eV up to 300 eV, which allowed reaching pedestal collisionality v ped < 1 at q95 ∼3. COMPASS has approached conditions for the Identity experiment done at JET and DIII-D, complementing the range of scanned p ped. The pedestal pressure was successfully reproduced by the EPED model. The dependence of pedestal pressure width on v ped and βpol ped is discussed.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1088/1741-4326/aa6659

Lithium beam diagnostic system on the COMPASS tokamak

Publication Name: Fusion Engineering and Design

Publication Date: 2016-10-01

Volume: 108

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: 1-6

Description:

An improved lithium beam based beam emission spectroscopy system - installed on COMPASS tokamak - is described. The beam energy enhanced up to 120 keV for Atomic Beam Probe measurement. The size of the ion source is doubled, using a newly developed thermionic heater instead of the conventionally used heating (tungsten or molybdenum) filament. The neutralizer is also improved. It produces the same sodium vapor in a cell but minimize the loss condensing the vapor on a cold surface which is led back (in fluid state) into the sodium oven. This way we call it recirculating neutralizer. The observation system consists of a CCD camera and an avalanche photodiode array.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1016/j.fusengdes.2016.04.022

Li-BES detection system for plasma turbulence measurements on the COMPASS tokamak

Publication Name: Fusion Engineering and Design

Publication Date: 2015-10-01

Volume: 96-97

Issue: Unknown

Page Range: 795-798

Description:

A new Li beam emission spectroscopy (Li-BES) diagnostic system with a ∼ cm spatial resolution, and with beam energy ranging from 10 keV up to 120 keV and a 18 channel Avalanche photo diode (APD) detector system sampled at 2 MHz has been recently installed and tested on the COMPASS tokamak. This diagnostic allows to reconstruct density profile based on directly measured light profiles, and to follow turbulent behaviour of the edge plasma. The paper reports technical capabilities of this new system designed for fine spatio-temporal measurements of plasma electron density. Focusing on turbulence-induced fluctuation measurements, we demonstrate how physically relevant information can be extracted using the COMPASS Li-BES system.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1016/j.fusengdes.2015.06.030

Plasma tomographic reconstruction from tangentially viewing camera with background subtraction

Publication Name: Review of Scientific Instruments

Publication Date: 2014-01-01

Volume: 85

Issue: 1

Page Range: Unknown

Description:

Light reflections are one of the main and often underestimated issues of plasma emissivity reconstruction in visible light spectral range. Metallic and other specular components of tokamak generate systematic errors in the optical measurements that could lead to wrong interpretation of data. Our analysis is performed at data from the tokamak COMPASS. It is a D-shaped tokamak with specular metallic vessel and possibility of the H-mode plasma. Data from fast visible light camera were used for tomographic reconstruction with background reflections subtraction to study plasma boundary. In this article, we show that despite highly specular tokamak wall, it is possible to obtain a realistic reconstruction. The developed algorithm shows robust results despite of systematic errors in the optical measurements and calibration. The motivation is to obtain an independent estimate of the plasma boundary shape. © 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1063/1.4862652

Development of atomic beam probe for tokamaks

Publication Name: Fusion Engineering and Design

Publication Date: 2013-11-01

Volume: 88

Issue: 11

Page Range: 2875-2880

Description:

The concept and development of a new detection method for light alkali ions stemming from diagnostic beams installed on medium size tokamak is described. The method allows us the simultaneous measurement of plasma density fluctuations and fast variations in poloidal magnetic field, therefore one can infer the fast changes in edge plasma current. The concept has been worked out and the whole design process has been done at Wigner RCP. The test detector with appropriate mechanics and electronics is already installed on COMPASS tokamak. General ion trajectory calculation code (ABPIons) has also been developed. Detailed calculations show the possibility of reconstruction of edge plasma current density profile changes with high temporal resolution, and the possibility of density profile reconstruction with better spatial resolution compared to standard Li-BES measurement, this is important for pedestal studies. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1016/j.fusengdes.2013.05.064

Overview of the COMPASS diagnostics

Publication Name: Fusion Engineering and Design

Publication Date: 2011-10-01

Volume: 86

Issue: 6-8

Page Range: 1227-1231

Description:

The COMPASS tokamak, a divertor device with clear H-mode and ITER-relevant geometry, has been re-installed in IPP Prague after its transport from CCFE in UK. The first plasma was achieved in December 2008. Many new diagnostic tools with both high temporal and spatial resolutions have been developed to address the scientific programme of COMPASS focused on H-mode physics and pedestal investigations. In the paper, an overview of existing and in near future planned diagnostics (magnetic, spectroscopy, microwave, probe and beam/particle) on COMPASS is given including their basic technical specifications and achievements. © 2011 EURATOM. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1016/j.fusengdes.2010.12.024