Observations of electron heating during 28 GHz microwave power application in proto-MPEX
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
The Prototype Material Plasma Exposure Experiment at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory utilizes a variety of power systems to generate and deliver a high heat flux plasma onto the surface of material targets. In the experiments described here, a deuterium plasma is produced via a ~100 kW, 13.56 MHz RF helicon source, to which ~20 kW of 28 GHz microwave power is applied. The electron density and temperature profiles are measured using a Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostic, and indicate that the electron density is centrally peaked. In the core of the plasma column, the electron density is higher than the cut-off density (~0.9 × 1019 m-3) for the launched mixture of X- and O-mode electron cyclotron heating waves to propagate. TS measurements indicate electron temperature increases from ~5 eV to ~20 eV during 28 GHz power application when the neutral deuterium pressure is reduced below 0.13 Pa (~1 mTorr.).
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- Contributing Organization:
- Proto-MPEX Team
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725
- OSTI ID:
- 1429196
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1421892
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 25, Issue 2; ISSN 1070-664X
- Publisher:
- American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Web of Science
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