Plasma Diagnostics

Course guarantor:

Karel Řezáč

Lecturer:

Karel Řezáč

Tutor:

Karel Řezáč

Supervisor:

Department of Physics

Synopsis:

The course focuses on experimental diagnostics of hot plasma generated by electrical discharges (z-pinch, plasma focus), high-power lasers, and tokamaks. Students will acquire knowledge of the physical principles and practical application of key diagnostic methods: X-ray and XUV spectroscopy, interferometry, Schlieren method, neutron detection (activation counters, scintillation detectors for time-of-flight methods), corpuscular and microwave diagnostics. An integral part of the course is laboratory measurement on the PFZ-200 device at FEE CTU in Prague.

Requirements:

Active participation in lectures and seminars. Participation in laboratory measurement in the last teaching week and processing of measured data.

Syllabus of lectures:

(lecture order may vary)

1. Detection of X-ray radiation, X-ray and XUV spectroscopy, types of spectrographs.

2. Atomic and radiation physics, spectroscopic models, and methods for determining plasma parameters.

3. X-ray spectroscopy with temporal, spatial, and spectral resolution; PIN detectors, polychromators, pinhole cameras, MCP, streak cameras, bolometry, and tomography.

4. Pulsed laser as an active diagnostic for density and density gradient measurements; interferometry, Schlieren and shadow method, Thomson scattering.

5. Probe measurements.

6. Detection of fusion neutrons with temporal, spatial, and energy resolution.

7. Analysis and processing of neutron time-of-flight signals, MC methods for spectral reconstruction and determination of the temporal evolution of the energy spectrum.

8. Measurement of currents, voltages, and magnetic fields.

9. Neutral particle beams as an active diagnostic for the detection of neutral particles.

10. Microwave diagnostics.

11. Diagnostics of plasmawall interaction.

12. Corpuscular diagnostics (electron diagnostics, ion diagnostics).

13. Preparation for the practical assignment; consultation, reserve.

14. Practical laboratory assignment (measurement on the university plasma focus PFZ-200).

Syllabus of tutorials:

1. Optical diagnostics of dense plasma practical demonstration of interferometry and the Schlieren method.

2. Pulsed techniques and timing of the PFZ-200 apparatus principles of triggering and synchronisation of diagnostics.

3. Preparation of diagnostic timing determination of delays and synchronisation of measured channels.

4. Methodology of signal processing temporal shifts of oscilloscope signals, introduction to the Gnuplot script.

5. Diagnostics of electrical quantities measurement of current (I), current derivative (dI/dt), and voltage (U).

6. Temporally and spatially resolved diagnostics working with nTOF, MCP, BD-PND, SAC detectors.

7. Complex laboratory assignment on the PFZ-200 apparatus integration and evaluation of all diagnostics.

Study Objective:

To familiarise students with diagnostic methods of hot plasma generated by electrical discharges (z-pinch, plasma focus type), high-power lasers, and tokamaks. An integral part is practical measurement on the PFZ-200 device at FEE CTU in Prague, where students will independently process and evaluate measured data.

Study materials:

[1] I. H. Hutchinson: Principles of Plasma Diagnostics. 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2005. ISBN 978-0-521-67574-1.

[2] G. F. Knoll: Radiation Detection and Measurement. 4th ed. Wiley, 2010. ISBN 978-0-470-13148-0.

[3] D. Attwood: Soft X-rays and Extreme Ultraviolet Radiation: Principles and Applications. Cambridge University Press, 1999. ISBN 0-521-65214-6.

[4] R. H. Huddlestone: Plasma Diagnostic Techniques. Academic Press, 1965.

[5] P. Kubeš: Impulsní silnoproudé výboje a jejich diagnostika. FEE CTU Textbook (in Czech language), 2005.

<http://www.aldebaran.cz/plazma_p/files/0001_mhd.pdf>.

[6] Course materials and lecture presentations (MS Teams): Team-02DPLA.

Note:

Further information:

https://moodle.fel.cvut.cz/courses/XP02DP

Time-table for winter semester 2025/2026:

Time-table is not available yet

Time-table for summer semester 2025/2026:

Time-table is not available yet

The course is a part of the following study plans: