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Title: Experimental Evidence of a Double Layer in a Large Volume Helicon Reactor

Abstract

The self-consistently generated current-free electric double layer (DL) is shown to scale up with the source tube diameter and appears not to be affected by rf driving frequency and changes in reactor geometry. This Letter presents the first simultaneous measurements of local plasma potential and beam energy as a function of axial position. The DL is shown to be no more than 5 mm thick (20 D lengths) and positioned just downstream of the maximum in the magnetic field gradient. Furthermore, its position relative to the magnetic field is observed to be invariant as the magnetic field is translated axially. Measurements of the potential drop across the DL are presented for pressures down to 0.09 mTorr and the DL strength ({phi}{sub DL}/T{sub e}) is determined to be between 5 and 7.

Authors:
; ;  [1];  [1]
  1. Space Plasma and Plasma Processing Group, Plasma Research Laboratory, Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, Australian National University, Acton 0200, Canberra (Australia)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
20699566
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Physical Review Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 95; Journal Issue: 20; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.205002; (c) 2005 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; ELECTRON TEMPERATURE; GEOMETRY; ION TEMPERATURE; LANGMUIR PROBE; LAYERS; MAGNETIC FIELDS; PLASMA; PLASMA DENSITY; PLASMA POTENTIAL; PLASMA PRESSURE; PLASMA SHEATH; TUBES

Citation Formats

Sutherland, O, Charles, C, Boswell, R W, Plihon, N, and Laboratoire de Physique et Technologie des Plasmas, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, Paris. Experimental Evidence of a Double Layer in a Large Volume Helicon Reactor. United States: N. p., 2005. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.205002.
Sutherland, O, Charles, C, Boswell, R W, Plihon, N, & Laboratoire de Physique et Technologie des Plasmas, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, Paris. Experimental Evidence of a Double Layer in a Large Volume Helicon Reactor. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.205002
Sutherland, O, Charles, C, Boswell, R W, Plihon, N, and Laboratoire de Physique et Technologie des Plasmas, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, Paris. 2005. "Experimental Evidence of a Double Layer in a Large Volume Helicon Reactor". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.205002.
@article{osti_20699566,
title = {Experimental Evidence of a Double Layer in a Large Volume Helicon Reactor},
author = {Sutherland, O and Charles, C and Boswell, R W and Plihon, N and Laboratoire de Physique et Technologie des Plasmas, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, Paris},
abstractNote = {The self-consistently generated current-free electric double layer (DL) is shown to scale up with the source tube diameter and appears not to be affected by rf driving frequency and changes in reactor geometry. This Letter presents the first simultaneous measurements of local plasma potential and beam energy as a function of axial position. The DL is shown to be no more than 5 mm thick (20 D lengths) and positioned just downstream of the maximum in the magnetic field gradient. Furthermore, its position relative to the magnetic field is observed to be invariant as the magnetic field is translated axially. Measurements of the potential drop across the DL are presented for pressures down to 0.09 mTorr and the DL strength ({phi}{sub DL}/T{sub e}) is determined to be between 5 and 7.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.205002},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/20699566}, journal = {Physical Review Letters},
issn = {0031-9007},
number = 20,
volume = 95,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Nov 11 00:00:00 EST 2005},
month = {Fri Nov 11 00:00:00 EST 2005}
}