Temporal and spatial evolution of the ion temperature in the WEST tokamak

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Abstract
Understanding ion temperature dynamics is crucial for interpreting energy transport, heating and confinement in magnetically confined plasmas. In the WEST tokamak, ion temperature is typically inferred from neutron flux measurements, which provide reliable global estimates but lack spatial resolution. To overcome this limitation, we employ the X-ray Imaging Crystal Spectrometer (XICS), which allows ion temperature measurements with both temporal and spatial resolution. This paper presents the XICS diagnostic, methods, its capabilities and limitations. As an illustration an analysis of two representative WEST discharges are presented. The first features stationary plasma parameters, highlighting the temporal and spatial evolution of ion temperature profiles along with associated uncertainties. The second involves an X-Point Radiator (XPR) regime, where a sudden increase in ion temperature and profile modification are observed. A comparison with neutron flux measurements demonstrates good agreement, confirming the reliability of XICS and its potential for future experimental campaigns.

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