Using Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence To Study Plasma Turbulence

The successful development and optimization of fusion power sources will depend largely upon learning more about plasma turbulence and its relation to transport. Gaining a greater knowledge of plasma-edge turbulence is key, as the transport of particles near the plasma's edge has a profound effect on global plasma confinement. It is in this region that the boundary values for plasma temperature and density are established, values from which internal gradients are subsequently determined. Unfortunately, theories often fail to predict transport under turbulent conditions. Researchers have now begun to utilize high-performance intensified CCD (ICCD) cameras for innovative studies designed to evaluate the potential of using planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF), an optical diagnostic technique, for the experimental visualization of plasma-edge turbulence. It is hoped that data acquired via PLIF imaging will lead to improved turbulence-transport models. This note discusses the recent work of Fred M. Levinton (Nova Photonics, Inc., Princeton, NJ) and Fedor Trintchouk (Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ).