Experiments with background gas in a vacuum arc centrifuge

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1996 · IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/27.510020· OSTI ID:264391

Dallaqua, R S; Simpson, S W; Del Bosco, E ^[1]

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1. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, Sao Jose dos Campos (Brazil). Laboratorio Associado de Plasma

Since promising isotope separation results were first reported by Krishnan et al. in 1981, a range of vacuum arc centrifuge experiments have been conducted in laboratories around the world. The PCEN (Plasma CENtrifuge) vacuum arc centrifuge at the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research has been used for isotope separation studies with cathode materials of carbon and magnesium and also to investigate the performance in terms of the rotational velocity attained for different cathode materials. Here, a vacuum arc centrifuge has been operated with an initial filling gas of either argon or hydrogen for pressures ranging from 10{sup {minus}3} to 10{sup {minus}1} Pa. The angular velocity {omega} of the plasma has been determined by cross-correlating the signals from potential probes, and the electron temperature T has been deduced from Langmuir probe data. At high gas pressures and early times during the 14 ms plasma lifetime, high-frequency nonuniformities frequently observed in the vacuum discharge disappear, suggesting that the associated instability is suppressed. Under the same conditions, nonuniformities rotating with much lower angular velocities are observed in the plasma. Temperatures are reduced in the presence of the background gas, and the theoretical figure of merit for separation proportional to {omega}{sup 2}/T is increased compared to its value in the vacuum discharge for both argon and hydrogen gas fillings.

• OSTI ID: 264391
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, Journal Name: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 24; ISSN ITPSBD; ISSN 0093-3813
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
PERFORMANCE
PLASMA CENTRIFUGES
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS