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DTRA’s advancements in nuclear and radiological detection
A new, more complex nuclear age has begun. Echoing the tensions of the Cold War amid rapidly evolving nuclear and radiological threats, preparedness in the modern age is a contest of scientific innovation. The Research and Development Directorate (RD) at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is charged with winning this contest.
Ronald E. Bell, Ronald E. Hatcher, Lawrence J. Lagin, Michio Okabayashi, Paul Sichta
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 30 | Number 2 | November 1996 | Pages 151-158
Technical Paper | Special Section: Plasma Control Issues for Tokamaks / Experimental Device | doi.org/10.13182/FST96-A30747
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A digital plasma control system for the Princeton Beta Experiment Modification (PBX-M) is being prepared. The functions of the existing analog shape and position control subsystems will be assumed by the upgraded control system. Plasma profile control will be pursued by making use of the lower hybrid current drive and the ion Bernstein wave heating systems to modify the plasma current and pressure profiles. A framework for integrating these plasma control functions is presented. Existing profile diagnostics can, with some modification, provide the information necessary to feed back on the plasma profiles. The digital control hardware is commercially available. Four real-time processors, which can be programmed independently, reside on a single Versa Module Eurocard board with dedicated shared memory. The parallel programming capability allows the separation by function of the vertical position control, shaping control, and profile control, which have different characteristic time-scales.