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Measurements are presented of the time resolved cathode and anode falls of high frequency fluorescent lamps for a range of discharge currents typically encountered in dimming mode. Measurements were performed with the movable anode technique. Supporting spectroscopic emission measurements were made of key transitions (argon 420.1 nm and mercury 435.8 nm), whose onset coincide with cathode fall equalling the value associated with the energy, relative to the ground state, of the upper level of the respective transition. The measurements are in general agreement with the well-known understanding of dimmed lamp operation: peak cathode fall decreases with increasing lamp current and with increasing auxiliary coil heating. However, the time dependence of the measurements offers additional insight.

Investigations of fluorescent lamps (FL) are often focused on the electrodes, since the lifetime of the lamps is typically limited by the electrode lifetime and durability. During steady state operation, the work function lowering emitter material, in particular, barium, is lost. Greater barium losses occur under dimming conditions, in which reduced discharge currents lead to increased cathode falls, the result of the otherwise diminished heating of the electrode by the bombarding plasma ions. In this work the barium density near the electrodes of (FL), operating in high frequency dimming mode is investigated using the high-sensitivity method of laser-induced fluorescence. From these measurements we infer barium loss for a range of discharge currents and auxiliary coil heating currents. We show that the Ba loss can very easily be reduced by moderate auxiliary coil heating.

The high energy ion bombardment during instant start of a fluorescent lamp (FL) leads to intense sputtering of the electrode material including tungsten and emitter. Thus, a cold started FL often suffers from early failures due to coil fracture. The main goal of this paper is to investigate tungsten erosion. We have employed the ultra-sensitive method of laser-induced fluorescence. This technique is particularly well-suited to determining absolute population densities of neutral and singly ionized atoms of liberated electrode material. In addition to FL, our investigations have been performed also on hollow cathode lamps (HCLs). These are useful because they provide a variable source of sputtered tungsten atoms and can serve as tuning tools for precise adjustment of the laser radiation.We will present absolute atomic tungsten population densities in a commercial FL and in an HCL. Furthermore, the results of a theoretical investigation of the argon plasma and the tungsten density in the HCL are represented.

Several experiments were conducted in ASDEX Upgrade to prove the suitability of tungsten as a divertor target material under the conditions of a high density and low temperature divertor. The observed fluxes from a tungsten tile into the plasma are low, in keeping with the extremely low sputtering yields. In addition, the very favourable effect of `prompt redeposition' (redeposition during the first gyration) could be confirmed by the experiments. Cooling of the edge region by neon injection seems permissible, i.e. neon impurity sputtering did not increase the eroded fluxes of tungsten. The transport and accumulation behaviour were investigated by means of the laser blow-off technique. No accumulation effects could be observed in ohmic discharges. In discharges with NBI heating but without ICRH, strong accumulation can occur. High heat flux tests were performed on graphite tiles coated with plasma sprayed tungsten, which withstood a thermal load of 15 MW/m2 lasting 2 s as well as 1000 cycles of 10 MW/m2 for 2 s without disabling damage. Owing to the encouraging results, an experiment using a tungsten divertor is planned in ASDEX Upgrade

The erosion of the graphite divertor plates in the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak is measured spectroscopically. Spatial profiles of the D0 and C+ influxes across the outer target plate are determined from measured absolute line intensities. Plasma parameters (ne, Te) at the target, which are required to determine the appropriate photon emission efficiencies for these lines, are obtained from an in-vessel reciprocating Langmuir probe above the target plate. Yields for the erosion of the graphite by the incident D+ flux are determined from the ratio of the measured C+ to D0 fluxes. Over a range of moderate densities the measured yields of ≤4% are explicable in terms of physical sputtering alone. Chemical sputtering by low energy Franck-Condon neutrals probably contributes, however, to the total erosion. At higher densities detachment of the plasma from the targets occurs owing to formation of a MARFE near the X point. Under these conditions localized physical sputtering of the targets ceases. The impurity level (Zeff) is, however, maintained following detachment, indicating a corresponding maintenance of carbon influx, perhaps due to chemical erosion of the total graphite surface and/or an improvement in particle confinement in the detached state

The completely detached high confinement (CDH) regime established recently in high power ASDEX-Upgrade single null divertor discharges is described. The standard CDH mode scenario with feedback controlled external deuterium and neon puffing is analysed in detail with respect to its divertor detachment and confinement properties. Impurity transport and pumping effects and the density operation windows of the CDH mode are outlined. First results with other impurity radiators (N,Ar) are given. Finally the CDH mode operation space is discussed in terms of main chamber and scrape-off layer plus divertor radiation and possible consequences for future fusion experiments are outlined.

In the ASDEX Upgrade, X-point marfe formation and its behaviour up to the density limit is investigated in gas-fuelled ohmically-heated single-null discharges over a wide range of parameters: Ip=0.6-1.2 MA, BTF=1.35-2.4 T, a plasma elongation of 1.6 and Zeff

ASDEX Upgrade is a poloidal divertor experiment very similar to ITER with respect to magnetic field properties and especially to the plasma boundary geometry. A large part of the programme on ASDEX Upgrade is therefore dedicated to investigating and optimizing reactor-relevant plasma boundary issues. This contribution is concerned with H-mode studies and edge physics in general. The L/H-power threshold, H-mode confinement, details of ELM dynamic and 'dithering' L/H-transitions will be discussed. The edge physics investigations are concerned with model calculations and validations, the characteristic 'approach' to the density limit (DL), target plate sputtering and the influence of hydrocarbons, asymmetries and drifts depending on the direction of the toroidal magnetic field, and finally first results of high-Z material experiments.

International audience; The transport of barium atoms and ions in the vicinity of the hot spot in fluorescent lamps operating at 25 kHz is investigated by a combined experimental and theoretical approach. By laserinduced fluorescence, the particle densities of barium atoms and ions were measured timeresolved at different distances from the spot center. In addition, the time-dependent cathode fall voltage was measured using an improved band method. The model combines a kinetic part for the electrons with a fluid part for the barium atoms and ions. Both parts are spatially resolved in spherically symmetric geometry. The space-dependent electron Boltzmann equation yields the electron density and the ionization rate coefficient of barium as functions of the cathode fall voltage. These results are used to solve the time-dependent particle balance equations of barium atoms and ions which include the ionization of barium as gain and loss terms, respectively. Good agreement between the measured and calculated particle densities of barium atoms is obtained. A sensitive dependence of the ionization frequency and of the barium particle densities on the cathode fall voltage was found.

The method of laser-induced fluorescence was used to study the behavior of the absolute neutral vapor density of a diffuse vacuum arc on FeCu contacts. The local and temporal resolutions were 1 mm/sup 3/ and 10 mu s, respectively. The arc current had a sinusoidal shape of 5.8-ms duration with peak values of 90 and 510 A. It was found that the maximum densities of the iron and copper atoms are 1.2*10/sup 17/ m/sup -3/ and 7.5*10/sup 17/ m/sup -3/, respectively. During the arc the density was correlated with the current. At current zero the measured densities decreased to 10/sup 16/ m/sup -3/. After current zero, an exponential density decay with a time constant of about 100 mu s was observed, indicating the recovery of dielectric strength after current zero. Measurements of the neutron iron vapor density at different spatial positions in the electrode gap reveal a nonisotropic distribution. From the measurements of the population distribution of the iron ground-state multiplet a/sup 5/D, the excitation temperature was derived. This temperature was low compared with the cathode spot temperature 2500-4000 K and decreased from 1600 K at the current maximum to 1000 K at current zero. The results indicate that the generation of neutrals is caused by flying evaporating metal droplets rather than by molten surface areas. >