Absolute VUV spectroscopy of a graphite target plasma was performed on the MK-200UG installation (TRINITI) in cooperation with a Sandia National Laboratory team. The incoming hydrogen plasma stream had an energy density of 1.5 kJ/cm(2) and a pulse duration of 40 mu s in a longitudinal magnetic field of 25 kG, The plasma facing component (PFC) under evaluation was a POGO graphite plate that was placed normal to the plasma stream and to the magnetic field. Spectroscopy was performed with a high-spatial frequency transmission grating spectrometer that was coupled to a 1024 x 1024 CCD camera. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.