Assessment of the Operational Parameter Range for the Correlation Reflectometer on T-15MD

The paper considers the operational frequency range and spatial region accessibility of reflectometry for electron density fluctuation measurements in plasma column in the T-15MD tokamak. The absorption of the probing beam at the fundamental and higher harmonics of the electron cyclotron resonance is identified as the primary diagnostic limitation. The estimations were made for ordinary and extraordinary polarizations of the probing wave in a wide range of discharge scenarios. Configurations with different antenna locations inside the vacuum vessel are examined. The maximum fluctuation amplitude, under which the reflectometer works in linear regime, is assessed for the target density profile shape.