RENSSELAER HEAVY-ION BEAM PROBE DIAGNOSTIC METHODS AND TECHNIQUES

The operating principles, measurement capabilities, hardware, and data analysis techniques of heavy ion beam probe diagnostics as used by the Rensselaer Plasma Dynamics Lab are reviewed. The topics that are addressed include; trajectory calculations of the ion beams; how the diagnostic measures plasma density, electron temperature, electric potential, and magnetic vector potential; the energy analyzer used to detect the beam, other hardware used in the experiments, and the basic techniques used in fluctuation studies and related diagnostic issues.