2D Relative Phase Reconstruction in Plasma Diagnostics

Interferometric analysis methods for measuring plasma properties are presented with emphasis on emerging trends in 2D phase reconstruction. Using recent imagery from exploded-wire experiments the relative phase profiles from independent interferograms are reconstructed. The well-known Fourier Transform Method is presented and discussed. Then, the electron and atom densities are recovered from the phase by solving a linear system of equations in the form of line-integrated density profiles. The mathematical models of the line density and phase function are described and elucidate why interferograms of plasma suffer from low contrast, high signal-to-noise ratio and poorly defined fringes. Although these effects pose challenges for phase reconstruction, the interferometric diagnostic continues to advance the plasma science