QUARTERLY STATUS REPORT OF THE LASL CONTROLLED THERMONUCLEAR RESEARCH PROGRAM FOR PERIOD ENDING MAY 20, 1963

Technical Report · Tue Jun 25 00:00:00 EDT 1963

OSTI ID:4685070

Electron beam probe experiments were performed on Picket Fence IIB to study the characteristics of the potential well formed after plasma injection into the cusped field and to search for time-dependent electric fields developed by instabilities in the low- BETA , long-time duration plasma. The energies, masses, and time behavior of ions escaping through the ring cusp were also studied. Measurements of particle leakage through the point cusp of the Picket Fence Ill machine with plasma injection from the new large-bore coaxial gun showed no tail in the D-flux leakage. Analog computer amplifiers were used to improve the sensitivity of measurements and to speed data analysis in plasma diagnostics. Investigation of the highpressure mode operation of a coaxial gun were made, and center electrodes of various shapes and sizes were tested in the large-bore gun. Development of equipment, procedures, and theory for detecting plasma oscillations by the incoherent scattering of microwaves from such oscillations were resumed. A double-light-beam experiment was devised. A 10- mu F capacitor with an internal inductance of less than 10/sup -10/ H was built. Scylla IV was brought into operation. With the preionizer, first-half-cycle electron temperatures of 300 to 900 ev and neutron yields of 10/sup 7/ to 10/sup 9/ were observed. The plasma was found to be capable of H03 H02casting a distinct image of itself due to refractive effects. At peak compression, shadowgrams indicated a plasma with a sharp, nearly circular boundary. Evidence of a Faraday rotation was also noted. Mirror machine injection with a coaxial plasma gun was studied using five mirror machine arrangements. Evidence for trapping was iound, but little was known of the trapping mechanism or the plasma properties. Experiments continued with the original transverse injection apparatus, and construction of a new device approached completion. The experiments indicated that a sustained E-field gate is useful for stopping the plasma that arrives more than 7- mu sec behind the front of the slow-moving component. Component developments are also reported. (D.C.W.)

• Research Organization: Los Alamos Scientific Lab., N. Mex.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• NSA Number: NSA-17-029656
• OSTI ID: 4685070
• Report Number(s): LAMS-2916
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-63
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

PHYSICS
AMPLIFIERS
CAPACITORS
COMPUTERS
CONFIGURATION
CONFINEMENT
CUSPED GEOMETRIES
DECOMPOSITION
DETECTION
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRODES
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRONS
ENERGY
FABRICATION
FARADAY ROTATION
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IMAGES
INDUCTION
INJECTION
INSTRUMENTS
IONIZATION
IONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
MASS
MEASURED VALUES
MICROWAVES
MOTION
NEUTRONS
NUMERICALS
OPERATION
OSCILLATIONS
PERFORMANCE
PLANNING
PLASMA
POLARIZATION
PRESSURE
PRODUCTION
REFRACTION
ROTATION
SCATTERING
SCYLLA
SHOCK WAVES
STABILITY
SURFACES
TESTING
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES