First measurements of the multichannel far-infrared polarimeter on RFX-mod

A multichannel far-infrared (FIR) polarimeter has been recently installed and improved in RFX-mod to measure the Faraday rotation angle along vertical chords on a poloidal plasma section. Polarimetric data, associated with measurements of the electron density, permit the reconstruction of the poloidal magnetic field profile, B?. The entire diagnostic is described and its main sections outlined. Emphasis is placed on the work performed on the polarimeter to reduce the fluctuations affecting the old diagnostic signals and to increase the S/N ratio. In the recent installation of the polarimeter the optical line was more carefully designed and the mirror holders have been made in insulating material to avoid any interaction with the variable magnetic fields. Moreover all the optics have been fixed on an inertial granite platform. Examples of the first Faraday angle measurements performed on five chords are presented and discussed. The measured Faraday rotation angles are compared to a theoretically calculated value, based on the ?&p model, showing a good agreement between experimental and predicted data in the central region of the plasma. The comparison between experimental and predicted data is reported and discussed in the present work.