Academician A. D. Sakharov’s idea concerning the emission of atomic flux from hot plasma (1951) inspired scientists of A. F. Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute to create the first in the world instrument called Neutral Atom Analyzer in 1960 and then in 1961 to use it successfully on the Alpha device (USSR, 1958–1963). Now the analysis of fluxes of fast atoms referred to as Neutral Particle Analysis (NPA) is one of the main diagnostic methods for the ion component of plasma in tokamaks, stellarators, and other devices. NPA provides a unique opportunity for studying the ion distribution functions, ion temperatures and hydrogen isotope ratio in hot plasma. Neutral particle analyzers developed at the Ioffe Institute were widely used in the USSR until the late 1970s, and afterwards began to be employed worldwide. Since then, most of the information on the ion distribution functions and the behavior of fast ions in fusion plasma is obtained from NPA measurements on all leading magnetic confinement fusion systems worldwide. The specialized complex of atom analyzers currently being created at the Ioffe Institute is included in the primary list of ITER diagnostics. The integration of this complex on ITER is expected to begin in 2025.

萨哈罗夫（AD Sakharov）院士关于热等离子体发射原子通量的想法（1951年）启发了AF艾菲物理技术学院的科学家，他们于1960年发明了世界上第一台中性原子分析仪，然后在1961年成功地将其用于Alpha装置（苏联，1958年至1963年）。现在，被称为中性粒子分析（NPA）的快速原子通量分析是托卡马克，恒星器和其他设备中等离子体离子成分的主要诊断方法之一。NPA为研究热等离子体中的离子分布函数，离子温度和氢同位素比提供了独特的机会。由艾菲研究所（Ioffe Institute）开发的中性粒子分析仪在苏联被广泛使用，直到1970年代后期，此后才开始在世界范围内使用。自那时候起，有关离子分布函数和聚变等离子体中快离子行为的大多数信息，可从全球所有领先的磁约束聚变系统的NPA测量中获得。Ioff诊断程序的主要列表中包含了由Ioffe研究所当前创建的原子分析仪的专业综合体。预计该综合设施在ITER上的整合将于2025年开始。