THE HOMOPOLAR DEVICE
Of the many interesting rotational plasma configurations, the Homopolar geometry has thus far received most attention. Here a radial electric field and an axial magnetic field are used to set plasma into azimuthal drift motion. A transient radial current flows during the acceleration stages and this has been used in the experiments reported here to pinch the plasma axially away from insulaiing end plates. The axial magnetic field employed in practice has been of the mirror machine type. The centrifugal force associated with plasma rotation tends to hold the ions away from the axis, and therefore traps them in the region of bulging field. Axial containment is achieved at first by the azimuthal pinch field and later by the centritugal trapping effect. Rotational kinetic energy can be convertee to plasma beating by viscosity or turbulent mixing. These effects, though more powerful than Joule heating, may not suffice to heat a practical thermonuclear devices and axiliary heating methods may have to be applied. As with the toroidal stabilized pinch, a promising containment method has been demonstrated, but the adequacy of selfheating remains to be determined. As in the study of the pinch effect, a natural course of development is from small, high-density models to large, low-density machines. A deuterium density of about l0/sup 13/cc should be satisfactory in a thermonuclear reactor. Experimenis were directed exclusively to documenting the physics of totating plasmas. Argon was used for the most pari. Great stress was placed on direct methods of measuring actual plasma rotatdon. Circuit responses have demonstrated particjpation of the entire starting gas in the roiation. Plasma angular momentum has been measured unambiguously as a function of time, by crowbarring'' the machine and observing ihe charge drawn out. lon kinetic energies above 500 ev in argon and 50 ev in deuterium were demonstrated. Doppier- shift measurement; indicate, if anything, still larger energjes. The presence of very high BETA 's was shown by deformation of the starting magnetic field. For 5- mu sec plasma-acceleration times, substantial plasma rotation)ofas been observed up to 80 mu sec later. A larger system, having thermonuclear potentialities, was completed and another is Ring built. An important incidental use of the Homopolar machine is as a fast-discharge capacitor. Dielectric constants oi l0/sup 6/ to 10/sup 7/ were produced with ease, and output-current rates of rise of 5 x l0/sup 11/ amp/sec were generated. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- California. Univ., Berkeley. Radiation Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- NSA Number:
- NSA-13-011000
- OSTI ID:
- 4268670
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-8062
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Decl. Aug. 21, 1958. Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-59
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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ANGULAR MOMENTUM
ARGON
CAPACITORS
CIRCUITS
CONFIGURATION
CONFINEMENT
CURRENTS
DENSITY
DEUTERIUM
DIELECTRICS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ENERGY
ENERGY RANGE
EV RANGE
HEATING
IONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
MEASURED VALUES
MOMENTUM
PINCH
PLASMA
PLATES
PRESSURE
RESISTORS
ROTATION
SPECTRAL SHIFT
STABILITY
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TURBULENCE
VISCOSITY