A plug-probe diagnostics for the measurement of electric field fluctuations in the turbulent state of the simply magnetised toroidal plasma device THORELLO (original) (raw)

Experimental investigation of magnetised plasma turbulence is actively pursued in fusion aimed as well as in basic plasma physics toroidal devices. In particular the understanding of turbulent transport mechanisms has a great interest for the improvement of the magnetic confinement. Here we discuss the use of plug-probes, a suitable modification of traditional Langmuir electrostatic probes, for an experimental investigation of plasma parameters fluctuations of a turbulent, low beta, low temperature plasma in a simply magnetised toroidal configuration. The experiments have been executed on the Thorello device, operating at the University of Milano-Bicocca [1]. In this device, a low temperature, high density plasma can be produced in a steady configuration by driving a hot cathode discharge in low pressure hydrogen gas. In particular, in toroidal magnetised plasmas a large fraction of anomalous particles and energy transport is attributed to the propagation of coherent structures [2]....