QUARTERLY STATUS REPORT OF THE LASL PLASMA THERMOCOUPLE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR PERIOD ENDING MARCH 20, 1960

Technical Report · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1960

OSTI ID:4164263

By improvement in the temperature control of the oil bath, it was found possible to operate the plasma thermocouple cells at temperatures down to 22 deg C, corresponding to a cesium vapor pressure of 10/sup -6/ mm Hg where collisions of electrons and ions with neutral atoms are negligible. As a result it was possible to measure ion currents, as well as short circuit currents and open circuit voltages, for a pressure range of 10/sup -6/ to 1 mm Hg. In order to obtain some understanding of the nature of plasma cell oscillations, observations were made of voltage and current wave forms generated by a cell with a Ta emitter. Oscillations were obtained for cesium pressures varying from 3 x 10/sup -6/ to 10/ sup -2/ mm Hg and for a wide range of emitter temperature. The effect on the oscillations of varying the operating voltage of the cell and of the emitter- collecter separation distance was observed. The possibility of designing a plasma thermocouple reactor to operate as a power supply in space vehicles was given consideration. In-pile testing, plasma cell design, structural changes in fuel elements, spectroscope examination of a plasma cell, cesium vapor equilibrium, thermionic emission studies and data reduction, fabrication techniques, and properties of materials are summarized. (For preceding period see LAMS-2396.) (W.D.M.)

• Research Organization: Los Alamos Scientific Lab., N. Mex.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• NSA Number: NSA-14-016448
• OSTI ID: 4164263
• Report Number(s): LAMS-2423
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CESIUM
COLLISIONS
CURRENTS
ELECTRONS
FABRICATION
FUEL ELEMENTS
IONS
LOW TEMPERATURE
MEASURED VALUES
OSCILLATIONS
PLASMA
PRESSURE
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
REACTORS
SPACE VEHICLES
SPECTROSCOPY
TANTALUM
TESTING
THERMOCOUPLES
THERMOELECTRIC CELLS
USES