Wavelet analysis of fusion plasma transients

Analysis of transient signals in the diagnostic of fusion plasmas often requires the simultaneous consideration of their time and frequency information. The newly emerging technique of wavelet analysis contains both time and frequency domains. Therefore it can be a valuable tool for the analysis of transients. In this paper the basic method of wavelet analysis is described. As an example, wavelet analysis is applied to the well-known phenomena of mode locking and fishbone instability. The results quantify the current qualitative understanding of these events in terms of instantaneous frequencies and amplitudes and encourage applications of the method to other problems. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.