Magnetic field mapping using an image-intensifying fluorescent probe

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Abstract
A simple, cost‐effective image‐intensifying fluorescent probe designed for mapping the magnetic surfaces in the heliac s h e i l a is described. It consists of a phosphor‐coated metal plate which is enclosed in a grounded U‐channel that provides electrostatic shielding. An adjustable accelerating voltage is applied to the metal plate to greatly increase the cathodoluminescence produced by the directed electron beam from an electron gun, and the visible electron‐beam image is recorded by a CCD camera. The gain in the image brightness allows significant reduction of the electron‐beam energy to minimize the deviation of the measured drift surfaces from the true magnetic surfaces, and to improve resolution for detailed studies of surfaces in the newer stellarator experiments. This technique is particularly suited to electron energies below the phosphor activation threshold, when external image intensifying systems are likely to be very inefficient. Up to 36 toroidal rotations have been observed, limited mainly by the effective cross sections of the fluorescent probe and the electron gun. Mapping at low magnetic field strengths allows detection of small fixed amplitude field errors. Measurements of the gain characteristics and resolution are presented, with an example of the electrically variable resolution achievable with this design. The effect of electron energy on drift surfaces of a heliac is demonstrated.