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By restricting the electron-collection area of a cold Langmuir probe compared to the ion-collection area, the probe floating potential can become equal to the space potential, and thus conveniently monitored, rather than to a value shifted from the space potential by an electron-temperature-dependent offset, i.e., the case with an equal-collection-area probe. This design goal is achieved by combining an ambient magnetic field in the plasma with baffles, or shields, on the probe, resulting in species-selective magnetic insulation of the probe collection area. This permits the elimination of electron current to the probe by further adjustment of magnetic insulation which results in an ion-temperature-dependent offset when the probe is electrically floating. Subtracting the floating potential of two magnetically insulated baffled probes, each with a different degree of magnetic insulation, enables the electron or ion temperature to be measured in real time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-frequency instabilities modified by a field-aligned flow velocity shear are investigated, where the shear is controlled using a concentrically three-segmented ion emitter in a modified double-ended Q-machine [T. Kaneko et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 73, 4218 (2002)]. When the barium-ion flow velocity shear is produced by applying different bias voltages to two of the three segments of the ion source, drift waves having azimuthal mode number m=1, 2, and 3 are observed to be excited simultaneously. It is found that the excitation-threshold value of the shear strength depends on the azimuthal mode number, as expected from a model based on kinetic theory, suggesting that the observations are explained by the competition between inverse electron Landau damping and shear-modified ion Landau damping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baffles are obstacles that shield plasma electrons from being collected by a floating probe by virtue of a small electron gyroradius compared to a large ion gyroradius. A baffled probe floats at space potential if the baffling results in equal electron and ion saturation currents. With such a probe, potential fluctuations can be monitored locally with minimal plasma perturbation. The performance is documented in the edge of a stellarator plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]