Investigation of fast pitch angle scattering of runaway electrons in the EAST tokamak

This paper reports that an experimental investigation of fast pitch angle scattering (FPAS) of runaway electrons in the EAST tokamak has been performed. From the newly developed infrared detector (HgCdTe) diagnostic system, the infrared synchrotron radiation emitted by relativistic electrons can be obtained as a function of time. The FPAS is analysed by means of the infrared detector diagnostic system and the other correlative diagnostic systems (including electron–cyclotron emission, hard x-ray, neutrons). It is found that the intensity of infrared synchrotron radiation and the electron–cyclotron emission signal increase rapidly at the time of FPAS because of the fast increase of pitch angle and the perpendicular velocity of the energetic runaway electrons. The Parail and Pogutse instability is a possible mechanism for the FPAS.