Cornell Thomson scattering system.

A Thomson scattering system has been designed and constructed for probing a relativistic electron beam heated plasma. Ruby laser light scattered through 90 degrees is resolved by a polychromator and detected by one of six photomultipliers. The system is capable of resolving electron temperatures of 150 eV at densities of n(e)<10(13) cm(-3) with a 4-J ruby laser and an f/9 throughput collection system. Scaling to a 10-J, f/5 system would allow resolving densities of approximately 10(12) cm(-3). System design, calibration, alignment, and data reduction are discussed. At elevated temperatures (T(e) approximately 600 eV) evidence of the relativistic blue shift was observed.