Characterization of Cs-free negative ion production in the ion source SPIDER by Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy

TL;DR

This paper investigates Cs-free negative ion production in the SPIDER ion source using Cavity Ring-down Spectroscopy, analyzing ion density measurements, diagnostic drift issues, and the effects of RF power and magnetic fields on ion density.

Contribution

It introduces a diagnostic technique for measuring negative ion density in SPIDER and discusses the impact of operational parameters and a drift phenomenon on measurement accuracy.

Findings

Negative ion density is affected by RF power and magnetic filter fields.

A drift phenomenon in ring-down measurements develops over hours, affecting plasma diagnostics.

Cs-free operation in hydrogen and deuterium was successfully characterized.

Abstract

The Neutral beam Injectors of the ITER experiment will be based on negative ion sources for the generation of beams composed by 1 MeV H/D particles. The prototype of these sources is currently under testing in the SPIDER experiment, part of the Neutral Beam Test Facility of Consorzio RFX, Padua, Italy. Among the targets of the experimentation in SPIDER, it is of foremost importance to maximize the beam current density extracted from the source acceleration system. The SPIDER operating conditions can be optimized thanks to a Cavity Ring-down Spectroscopy diagnostic, which is able to give line-integrated measurements of negative ion density in proximity of the acceleration system apertures. Regarding the diagnostic technique, this work presents a phenomenon of drift in ring down time measurements, which develops in a time scale of few hours. This issue may significantly affect negative ion density measurements for plasma pulses of 1 h duration, as required by ITER. Causes and solutions are discussed. Regarding the source performance, this paper presents how negative ion density is influenced by the RF power used to sustain the plasma, and by the magnetic filter field present in SPIDER to limit the amount of co-extracted electrons. In this study, SPIDER was operated in hydrogen and deuterium, in Cs-free conditions.