CTS at ASDEX Upgrade

Our section operates diagnostic equipment at the ASDEX Upgrade fusion device in Munich, Germany, which is a medium-sized tokamak with powerful and flexible plasma heating systems.

Our diagnostic is based on the principle of collective Thomson scattering (CTS) of microwaves in the plasma, which is a versatile technique for diagnosing fusion plasmas. We use this to measure quantities that are important for the efficient operation of current and future fusion devices. These include the velocity distribution of energetic plasma ions, plasma rotation, ion temperature, and plasma chemical composition.

We also use our CTS equipment to study plasma-wave interactions and to provide experimental input to our work on fast-ion velocity-space tomography. Building on our experiences, we are furthermore designing CTS diagnostics for the future fusion devices ITER and DEMO.