title: Comparison of azimuthal ion velocity profiles using Mach probes, time delay estimation, and laser induced fluorescence in a linear plasma device.
abstract: We compare measurements of radially sheared azimuthal plasma flow based on time delay estimation (TDE) between two spatially separated Langmuir probes, Mach probes and laser induced fluorescence (LIF). TDE measurements cannot distinguish between ion fluid velocities and phase velocities. TDE and Mach probes are perturbative, so we compare the results against LIF, a non-perturbative, spatially resolved diagnostic technique that provides direct measurements of the ion velocity distribution functions. The bulk ion flow is determined from the Doppler shift of the Argon absorption line at 668.6139 nm. We compare results from all the three diagnostics, at various magnetic fields, which acts as a control knob for development of drift wave turbulence. We find that while Mach probes and LIF give similar profiles, TDE measurements typically overestimate the velocities and are also sensitive to the drift wave modes being investigated.
authors.affiliation: Center for Momentum Transport and Flow Organization, University of California at San Diego, 92093, USA. saikat@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: S Chakraborty
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Thakur
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McCarren
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fedorczak
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Manz
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Scime
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Tynan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu