Laser polarimetric measurement of equilibrium and fluctuating magnetic fields in a reversed field pinch (invited)

New developments in Faraday rotation polarimetry have provided the first measurements of current density profile and core magnetic fluctuations in the core of a high-temperature reversed field pinch. This has been achieved by a fast-polarimeter system with time response up to 1 mus and phase resolution <1 mrad. Recent experiments on Madison Symmetric Torus have directly measured radial magnetic field fluctuations in the plasma interior with amplitude 33 G, similar to 1%. A broad spectrum of magnetic fluctuations is observed up to 100 kHz. Relaxation of the current density profile at the sawtooth crash occurs on the timescale of 100 mu s.. Reversed-field pinch behavior is determined in large part by magnetic fluctuations driven by the radial gradient in the parallel current density. Hence, measurement of magnetic fluctuations and the current density profile is essential to understand the link between the current density profile, fluctuations, and transport. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.