Imaging Neutral Particle Analyzer (INPA) measurements of confined fast ions in DIII-D

A novel imaging neutral particle analyzer (INPA) which provides energy-resolved radial profiles of confined fast ions on the DIII-D tokamak is discussed. The INPA measures charge-exchanged energetic neutrals by viewing an "active" neutral beam through a 1D pinhole camera with a rear collimating slit that defines the neutral particle collection sightlines. The incident neutrals are ionized by 10 nm thick carbon stripping foils and the local tokamak magnetic field acts as a magnetic spectrometer to disperse ions onto a phosphor scintillator. A fast (160 Hz) CCD camera provides 2D images of the escaping neutrals mapped to energy and radial position in the plasma. The INPA typically probes passing orbits with an energy resolution of ≈7.5 keV (E= 20−80 keV) and a spatial resolution that ranges from 4 cm half width at half max (HWHM) in the core to 3 cm at the plasma edge. The INPA clearly resolves fast ion transport in localized regions of phase space due to individual sawteeth and a replenishing before each event. Extension to proton and triton DD fusion product measurements in high-performance DIII-D plasmas is analyzed and simulations show peak signals which are 10−6 lower than that from neutral beam ions for the same configuration. Possible modifications to increase fusion product signals are discussed along with upgrades to improve the overall diagnostic performance.