Apparatus for plasma diagnostics
First Claim
1. Diagnostic apparatus comprising:
- first and second tunable lasers for providing first and second output beams, optical means adjacent said lasers for bringing together and collimating the two laser beams and directing the beams along a path through a space, receiving means in the path of said two laser beams for selecting the two laser beams from extraneous radiation and separating the composite beams into first and second beampaths, said receiving means being on the opposite side of the space from said optical means, first and second detectors in respective beampaths, each detector being for receiving the respective laser beam and providing an electrical output indicative of the beam intensity, signal processing means coupled to receive said electrical outputs for combination to provide an indication of relative changes in intensity between the first and second beams after their passage through said space, and a plasma in said space and wherein said first and second lasers are tuned to respective adjacent wavelengths so that the wavelength from said first laser is tuned to a spectral region near a predetermined first electronic transition frequency present in said plasma, and second laser is tuned to substantially coincide with said electronic transition frequency present in said plasma, thereby allowing different ionic species of the plasma to be sampled.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for measuring the density of certain ions or neutrals within a plasma without probe intervention. When cylindrical symmetry is present, the system also provides measurement of spatial distribution of excited ionic states within the plasma. The system allows spatial distribution of contaminant ions in magnetic confinement thermonuclear fusion devices to be monitored. These functions are accomplished by directing two laser beams through a region containing a plasma. The laser means are at respective wavelengths chosen to be in and closely adjacent to a spectral region near the electronic transition frequency of the ionic species of interest in the plasma. The intensities of the two wavelengths are then measured and compared to obtain the desired data and characterization.
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Citations
6 Claims
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1. Diagnostic apparatus comprising:
- first and second tunable lasers for providing first and second output beams, optical means adjacent said lasers for bringing together and collimating the two laser beams and directing the beams along a path through a space, receiving means in the path of said two laser beams for selecting the two laser beams from extraneous radiation and separating the composite beams into first and second beampaths, said receiving means being on the opposite side of the space from said optical means, first and second detectors in respective beampaths, each detector being for receiving the respective laser beam and providing an electrical output indicative of the beam intensity, signal processing means coupled to receive said electrical outputs for combination to provide an indication of relative changes in intensity between the first and second beams after their passage through said space, and a plasma in said space and wherein said first and second lasers are tuned to respective adjacent wavelengths so that the wavelength from said first laser is tuned to a spectral region near a predetermined first electronic transition frequency present in said plasma, and second laser is tuned to substantially coincide with said electronic transition frequency present in said plasma, thereby allowing different ionic species of the plasma to be sampled.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Specification