Neutral beam species measurements using i n s i t u Rutherford backscatter spectrometry

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Abstract
This work describes a new in situ method for measuring the neutral particle fractions in high‐power deuterium neutral beams, used to heat magnetically confined fusion plasmas. Deuterium beams, of variable energies, pulse lengths, and powers up to 47 keV, 100 ms, 1.6 MW, were Rutherford backscattered at 135° from the TiC inner neutral beam armor of the PDX, and detected using an electrostatic analyzer with a microchannel plate. Complete energy scans were made every 20 ms and data were obtained simultaneously from five different positions across the beam profile. The neutral particle fractions were measured to be D0(E):D0(E/2):D0(E/3)=53:32:15. The corresponding neutral power fractions were P0(E):P0(E/2):P0(E/3)=72:21:7, and the associated ionic fractions at the output of the ion source were D+1 (E):D+2 (E):D+3 (E)=74:20:6. The measured neutral particle fractions were relatively constant over more than 70% of the beam power distribution. A decrease in the yield of the full‐energy component in the outer regions of the beam was observed.