THERMONUCLEAR PROJECT SEMIANNUAL REPORT FOR PERIOD ENDING JANUARY 31, 1959

Technical Report · Mon May 18 04:00:00 EDT 1959

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4270190· OSTI ID:4270190

Neutral particle collection, microwave equipment, and mathematical approximations were used in studies of the DCX plasma. Measurements of decay times and the spatial extent of plasmas trapped in DCX were attempted. One microwave measurement of a deuterium plasma gave brief indications of a plasma density of 1 x 10/sup 11/ metric DCX magnetic field in the absence of collisions were studied with the aid of the ORACLE. Linearized Vlasov equations were used in a study of small-amplitude oscillations of a quasi-neutral plasma in a uniform, time-independent, externally produced magnetic field. Spectroscopic studies of the 5-ft-long, 300-amp carbon arc showed Doppler broadening corresponding to ion motions with kinetic energy of 50 ev. First results of a mass spectrometric analysis of a short carbon arc verify spectrographic evidence of existence of triply ionized carbon in the arc. Microwave measurements, for an arc current of 300-amp and a magnetic field of 2600 gauss, tentatively established that the plasma frequency of the arc is ~ 140,000 Mc. An attempt to determine the floating potential distribution in the carbon arc with an axially movable potential probe is described. Electromagnetic radiation from a 3- to 6- ft-long, magnetically constrained, vacuum carbon arc was studied with specially designed circular-foil radiometers. PIG-type ion sources were studied for possible application to DCX. Three models of oil diffusion pumps were tested, and no significant difference in their performance was noted. A 50-H-long carbon arc assembly is being constructed for studies of the higher ion energies believed to be associated with increasing arc length. A multistage grid source is being designed which should produce a 600kev beam. A study of the sputtering effect of argon, helium, and deuterium ions on copper and aluminum was undertaken. The wettability of some base materials by an In-Ga-Sn eutectic alloy considered for use in a liquid-metal seal was tested at temperatures up to 450 C. A vacuum furnace with a hot zone 26 in. in diameter was constructed. Failure of the copper tubing used for heating and cooling the DCX liner with steam and water was shown to be accompanied by intergranular defects. Design and construction was completed on a new type of vacuum spectrometer to be used in the study of carbon arcs and H and D plasmas. A circuit for semilogarithmic photometric recording was developed. Work in progress or completed by the engineering science group is summarized. A flexible ORACLE code to permit rapid calculation of magnetic fields and vector potential for use in coil design problems for DCX-2 was developed. (W.D.M.)

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• NSA Number: NSA-13-012554
• OSTI ID: 4270190
• Report Number(s): ORNL-2693
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ALUMINUM-- ARGON-- COPPER-- HELIUM-- IONS-- MEASURED VALUES-- SPUTTERING
BARRIERS-- ENERGY RANGE-- ION BEAMS-- ION SOURCES-- KEV RANGE-- PLANNING
CARBON-- CONFIGURATION-- CURRENTS-- DISTRIBUTION-- ELECTRIC ARCS-- ELECTRIC POTENTIAL-- ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES-- ENERGY RANGE-- EV RANGE-- FOILS-- FREQUENCY-- IONIZATION-- IONS-- MAGNETIC FIELDS-- MASS SPECTROMETERS-- MEASURED VALUES-- MICROWAVES-- PLASMA-- PROBES-- RADIATIONS-- RADIOMETERS-- SPECTRA-- SPECTRAL SHIFT-- SPECTROSCOPY-- THERMAL RADIATION-- VACUUM
CARBON-- DEUTERIUM-- ELECTRIC ARCS-- HYDROGEN-- PLANNING-- PLASMA-- SPECTROMETERS-- VACUUM
CIRCUITS-- PHOTOMETRY-- PLANNING
COILS-- COMPU
CONTROLLED THERMONUCLEAR PROCESSES