CESIUM PLASMA STUDIES FOR THERMIONIC ENERGY CONVERSION. Second Semi- Annual Technical Summary Report

Technical Report · Sun Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1962

OSTI ID:4773072

Knechtli, R G; Wada, J Y

A study of the conditions of sheath formation on the surface of the thermal cesium plasma generators used for recombination measurements was performed. Results obtained with two-emitter piasma generators lead to tentative, conclusions, i.e., that the rates of both electron loss and ion loss from the plasma back to the emitter are surprisingly low. These results are explained by speculating that eiectron trapping takes place in the plasma, whose potential would be positive with respect to the emitters; in addition, the probability of neutralization of ions returning to the emitter may be lower than predicted by the Saha-Langmuir equation. Low-frequency oscillations in a cesium plasma column with a plasma emitter at one end and a collector at the other were studied in the collector circuit of the movable probe tube. These oscillations were conclusively related to the existence of a negative resistance characteristic in the emitter-collector circuit. This negative resistance characteristic was caused by changes in plasma density with collector voltage. A preliminary theory accounting for these phenomena was evolved. (auth)

• Research Organization: Hughes Research Labs. Div. of Hughes Aircraft Co., Malibu, Calif.
• NSA Number: NSA-17-004163
• OSTI ID: 4773072
• Report Number(s): AD-27515
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CESIUM
CIRCUITS
CONFINEMENT
CONVERSION
DENSITY
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRODES
ELECTRONS
EMISSION
ENERGY
FILTERS
FREQUENCY
ION RECOMBINATION
IONS
LAYERS
LOSSES
MEASURED VALUES
NEUTRALIZATION
OSCILLATIONS
PARTICLE SOURCES
PHYSICS
PLASMA
REGENERATION
SAHA- LANGMUIR EQUATION
SAMPLING
STATISTICS
SURFACES
TESTING
THERMIONICS
TUBES