ITER – New mirror system for ITER tested in DIII-D
ITER Newsline – New mirror system for ITER tested in DIII-D
By Ralph Schorn, Forschungszentrum Juelich | 03 April 2012
An international working group coordinated by Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany, has completed a new mirror system for ITER … and for its successors. The system—referred to as a “mirror station”—has shutters that open and close automatically to protect optical components from being contaminated by particle flows in the vacuum vessel. The researchers have been testing the practical applicability of the module at the US research reactor DIII-D in San Diego since mid-March.
Optical diagnostics are indispensable for nuclear fusion experiments. The light produced in a plasma speaks volumes about its properties, such as its composition and the concentration of various isotopes and elements. Due to the intense neutron radiation, it will only be possible to observe the light indirectly, using mirror systems positioned at the plasma edge. In this zone, however, the mirrors are exposed to contamination from beryllium and tungsten particles removed from the wall materials during contact with the hot plasma.
To read the full article, click here.
