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

作者:Kubota S*; Peebles W A; Nguyen X V; Crocker N A; Roquemore A L; Holoman T; Guttadora L; Kaita R
来源:Review of Scientific Instruments, 2010, 81(10): 10D917.
DOI:10.1063/1.3490024

摘要

The recent availability of broadband microwave quadrature mixers in the Ka-band (28-40 GHz) of frequencies has allowed the fabrication of low-cost direct-conversion detection circuits for use in the variable-frequency correlation reflectometer on the National Spherical Torus eXperiment (NSTX). The quadrature receiver in this case can be implemented as a simple homodyne circuit, without the complication of a single-sideband modulator or a feedforward tracking circuit present in more typical designs. A pair of direct-conversion receivers is coupled with broadband microwave voltage-controlled oscillators to construct a flexible dual-channel radar system with a fast frequency settling time of similar to 160 mu s. A detailed description of the design and a full characterization of the hardware are provided. Examples of turbulence measurements from radial and poloidal correlation reflectometry on NSTX using a poloidal array of antennas (oriented normal to the magnetic flux surfaces for conventional reflectometry) are presented.

  • 出版日期2010-10

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