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A Ka-band tunable direct-conversion correlation reflectometer for NSTX.

S Kubota1, W A Peebles, X V Nguyen

  • 1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA. skubota@ucla.edu

The Review of Scientific Instruments
|November 2, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Low-cost Ka-band microwave mixers enable direct-conversion receivers for the National Spherical Torus eXperiment (NSTX). This simplifies radar systems for studying plasma turbulence.

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Area of Science:

  • Plasma physics
  • Microwave engineering
  • Fusion energy research

Background:

  • Direct-conversion receivers offer a simpler alternative to traditional designs.
  • Advancements in Ka-band microwave mixers facilitate new instrumentation.
  • The National Spherical Torus eXperiment (NSTX) requires advanced diagnostics for plasma studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and characterize a low-cost, direct-conversion detection circuit for the NSTX.
  • To implement a flexible dual-channel radar system using available Ka-band hardware.
  • To demonstrate the system's capability for measuring plasma turbulence.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized broadband microwave quadrature mixers in the Ka-band (28-40 GHz).
  • Designed a homodyne quadrature receiver circuit without complex modulators.
  • Integrated direct-conversion receivers with voltage-controlled oscillators for a dual-channel radar system.
  • Characterized the hardware performance, including frequency settling time (~160 μs).

Main Results:

  • Successfully fabricated low-cost direct-conversion detection circuits.
  • Developed a flexible dual-channel radar system with fast frequency settling.
  • Presented examples of turbulence measurements using correlation reflectometry on NSTX.
  • Demonstrated the utility of the new system for plasma diagnostics.

Conclusions:

  • The developed direct-conversion Ka-band radar system offers a cost-effective and flexible solution for NSTX diagnostics.
  • The simplified homodyne receiver design is effective for plasma turbulence measurements.
  • This technology advances the capability for in-situ plasma diagnostics in fusion devices.