We propose a method for reconstructing the fluctuation components of the electron velocity distribution function (EVDF), and the electron entropy, which is a functional of the fluctuation components of the EVDF, using the harmonic spectrum from pure X-mode electron cyclotron emission (ECE) in optically thin plasmas. This formulation employs the maximum entropy method in velocity space using the Hankel transform, which converts from v⊥ space to p space (where, v⊥ and p are the electron velocity perpendicular to the background magnetic field and the index of the wavenumber in velocity space). Numerical tests validated the effectiveness of the proposed method, which is applicable across a wide range of magnetized plasma conditions, including conditions with both non-relativistic and relativistic electrons, except in cases of harmonic overlap or under optically thick conditions. Notably, this method does not require radiometer calibration for ECE measurements. This method facilitates the experimental evaluation of electron entropy transport in fusion plasma experiments. Moreover, when combined with measurements in k-space (spatial distribution), this approach enables entropy distribution acquisition in phase space (k-p space).
This paper presents a method to reconstruct the fluctuations in the electron velocity distribution function and the electron entropy using electron cyclotron emission measurements in magnetized plasmas. The technique employs the maximum entropy method and Hankel transform, and can be applied to a wide range of plasma conditions, including non-relativistic and relativistic electrons.