Commissioning and first operation of the ASDEX Upgrade neutral beam system

The first injector of the ASDEX Upgrade neutral beam system has been commissioned and injection experiments started in June 1993. Within a few weeks an injected power of 5.2 MW (H/sup 0/), equivalent to 87% of the design power level, was achieved for pulse lengths of up to 1.5 seconds, and a variety of neutral beam heated discharges could be analyzed before the shutdown of ASDEX Upgrade in August.