Demonstrating improved confinement of energetic ions is one of the key goals of the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) stellarator. In the past campaigns, measuring confined fast ions has proven to be challenging. Future deuterium campaigns would open up the option of using fusion-produced neutrons to indirectly observe confined fast ions. There are two neutron populations: 2.45 MeV neutrons from thermonuclear and beam-target fusion, and 14.1 MeV neutrons from DT reactions between tritium fusion products and bulk deuterium. The 14.1 MeV neutron signal can be measured using a scintillating fiber neutron detector, whereas the overall neutron rate is monitored by common radiation safety detectors, for instance fission chambers. The fusion rates are dependent on the slowing-down distribution of the deuterium and tritium ions, which in turn depend on the magnetic configuration via fast ion orbits. In this work, we investigate the effect of magnetic configuration on neutron production rates in W7-X. The neutral beam injection, beam and triton slowing-down distributions, and the fusion reactivity are simulated with the ASCOT suite of codes. The results indicate that the magnetic configuration has only a small effect on the production of 2.45 MeV neutrons from DD fusion and, particularly, on the 14.1 MeV neutron production rates. Despite triton losses of up to 50 %, the amount of 14.1 MeV neutrons produced might be sufficient for a time-resolved detection using a scintillating fiber detector, although only in high-performance discharges.

After completing the main construction phase of Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) and successfully commissioning the device, first plasma operation started at the end of 2015. Integral commissioning of plasma start-up and operation using electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) and an extensive set of plasma diagnostics have been completed, allowing initial physics studies during the first operational campaign. Both in helium and hydrogen, plasma breakdown was easily achieved. Gaining experience with plasma vessel conditioning, discharge lengths could be extended gradually. Eventually, discharges lasted up to 6 s, reaching an injected energy of 4 MJ, which is twice the limit originally agreed for the limiter configuration employed during the first operational campaign. At power levels of 4 MW central electron densities reached 3  ×  1019 m−3, central electron temperatures reached values of 7 keV and ion temperatures reached just above 2 keV. Important physics studies during this first operational phase include a first assessment of power balance and energy confinement, ECRH power deposition experiments, 2nd harmonic O-mode ECRH using multi-pass absorption, and current drive experiments using electron cyclotron current drive. As in many plasma discharges the electron temperature exceeds the ion temperature significantly, these plasmas are governed by core electron root confinement showing a strong positive electric field in the plasma centre.

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STATE-OF-THE-ART OF HIGH POWER GYRO-DEVICES AND FREE ELECTRON MASERSAt present, gyrotron oscillators are mainly used as high power millimeter wave sources for electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) and diagnostics of magnetically confmed plasmas for generation of energy by controlled thermonuclear fusion. 140 GHz gyrotrons with output power Pout = 0.58 MW, pulse length 't = 2.0 s and efficiency 11 = 34 % are commercially available. Diagnostic gyrotrons deliver P out = 40 kW with 't = 40 J-lS at frequencies up to 650 GHz (11 2_ 4 %). Recently, gyrotron oscillators have also been successfully used in matedal processing and plasma chemistry. Such technological applications require gyrotrons with the following parameters: f 2. 28 GHz , Pout = 10-30 kW, CW, 11 2. 30 %. This paper reports on achievements and problems related to the development of very high power mm-wave gyrotrons for long pulse or CW operation and describes the microwave technological pecularities of the different development steps. In addition, this work gives a short overview of the present development of gyrotrons for technological applications, quasi-optical gyrotrons, cyclotron autoresonance masers (CARMs), gyro-ldystrons, gyro-TWT amplifiers, gyro-BWO's and free electron masers (FEMs). The most impressive FEM output parameters are: Pout = 2GW, 't = 20 ns, 11 = 13 % at 140 GHz (LLNL) and Pout = 15 kW, 't = 20 J-tS, 11 = 5 % in the range from 120 to 900 GHz (UCSB). ENTWICKLUNGSSTAND VON HOCHLEISTUNGS-GYRO-RÖHREN UND FREI-ELEKTRONEN-MASERN Übersiebt Gyrotronoszillatoren werden derzeit vorwiegend als Hochleistungsmillimeterwellenquellen für die Elektron-Zyklotron-Resonanzheizung (ECRH) und Diagnostik von magnetisch eingeschlossenen Plasmen zur Erforschung der Energiegewinnung durch kontrollierte Kernfusion eingesetzt. 140 GHz Gyrotrons mit einer Ausgangsleistung von Pout = 0.58 MW bei Pulslängen von 't = 2.0 s und Wirkungsgraden von • 11 = 34% sind kommerziell erhältlich. Gyrotrons zur Plasmadiagnostik erreichen Frequenzen bis zu 650 GHz bei P out = 40 kW und 't = 40 ~-ts (11 2. 4 %). In jüngster Zeit jedoch finden Gyrotronoszillatoren auch für technologische Prozesse und in der Plasmachemie erfolgreich Verwendung. Dabei werden Röhren mit folgenden Parametern eingesetzt: f 2_ 28 GHz, Pout = 10-30 kW, CW, 11 2. 30 %. In diesem Beitrag wird auf den aktuellen Stand und die Probleme bei der Entwicklung von Hochleistungs-mm-Wellen-Gyrotrons für Langpuls-und Dauerstrichbetrieb sowie auf die mikrowellentechnischen Besonderheiten der einzelnen Entwicklungsphasen eingegangen: Außerdem wird auch kurz über den neuesten Stand der Entwicklung von Gyrotrons für technologische Anwendungen, quasi-optischen Gyrotrons, Zyklotron-Autoresonanz-Masern (CARMs), Gyroklystrons, Gyro-TWT-Verstärkern, Gyro-Rückwärtswellenoszillatoren (BWOs) und Frei-Elektronen-Maser (FEM) berichtet. FEM-Rekordausgangsparameter sind hier: Pout = 2 GW, 't = 20 ns, 11 = 13 % bei 140 GHz (LLNL) und Pout = 15 kW, 't = 20 J-lS, 11 = 5 % im Bereich von 120 bis 900 GHz (UCSB). Contents

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