The first systematic measurements of the electron temperature (T↓(e)) spatial profile have been obtained in the reversed field pinch experiment RFX with a single pulse Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostic. Scattered light from a ruby laser pulse (E≤ 15 J, Δt=30 ns) is collected through three objectives from 10 positions along a diameter in the plasma equatorial plane, with a spatial resolution of 2.5 cm. Plasma discharges with current in the range 700-900 kA have been investigated finding evidence of a quite flat T↓(e) profile. Data dispersion significantly greater than experimental uncertainties provides an indication of remarkable plasma fluctuations. Results are in good agreement with T↓(e) measurements from other single chord spectroscopic diagnostics (SiLi detector and SXR double filter), showing a reliable operation down to an electron density n↓(e) = 3 × 10↑(19) m↑(-3). Integration of this apparatus with a ND:YLF laser system for multipulse Thomson scattering measurements, sharing the same input optics, is under way. # 1997 American Institute of Physics. S0034-6748(97)60401-3
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