Plasmadynamic hypervelocity dust injector for the National Spherical Torus Experiment
- Plasma Physics Group P-24, Magnetized Fusion Energy Team, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
The design and construction of a plasmadynamic device to accelerate dust to hypervelocities is presented. High speed dust will be used to measure magnetic field lines in the National Spherical Torus Experiment. The plasma gun produces a high density (n{sub e}{approx_equal}10{sup 18} cm{sup -3}) and low temperature (a few eV) deuterium plasma, ejected by JxB forces which provide drag on the dust particles in its path. The dust will be entrained by the plasma to velocities of 1-30 km/s, depending on the dust mass. Carbon dust particles will be used, with diameters from 1 to 50 {mu}m. The key components of the plasmadynamic accelerator are a coaxial plasma gun operated at 10 kV (with an estimated discharge current of 200 kA), a dust dispenser activated by a piezoelectric transducer, and power and remote-control systems.
- OSTI ID:
- 20861184
- Journal Information:
- Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 77, Issue 10; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2219384; (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0034-6748
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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