Physics

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Quantum mechanics

Plasma

Reviews of Modern Plasma Physics

On the road to a fusion reactor, a thorough control of the fast-ion distribution plays a crucial role. Fusion-born α-particles are, indeed, a necessary ingredient of self-sustained burning plasmas. Recent developments in the diagnostic of fast-ion distributions have significantly improved our predictive capabilities towards future devices. Here, we review key diagnostic techniques for confined and lost fast ions in tokamak and stellarator plasmas. We discuss neutron and gamma-ray spectroscopy, fast-ion D-α spectroscopy, collective Thomson scattering, neutral particle analyzers, and fast-ion loss detectors. The review covers physical principles of each diagnostic, sensitivities, basic setups, and operational parameters. The review is largely (but not exclusively) based on the contributions from ASDEX Upgrade and JET. Finally, we discuss integrated data analysis of fast-ion diagnostics by velocity-space tomography which allows measurements of 2D velocity distribution functions of confined fast ions.

Recent progress in fast-ion diagnostics for magnetically confined plasmas