DEVELOPMENT OF METHODS FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF TEMPERATURES UP TO 10$sup 5$ K. Technical (Final) Report

Technical Report · Fri Jun 30 04:00:00 EDT 1961

OSTI ID:4834034

Botticher, W; Christmann, H; Fahrentholz, S; Kusch, H J

Three different ways were followed to obtain plasmas having temperatures of about 10/sup 5/ deg K. The first experiment aimed to pulse a confined electric arc with high current. This did not lead to the desired high temperatures because the confinement broke down. The second experiment tried to use the magnetic compression by an outer magnetic field ( theta -pinch) to compress and to heat the plasma simultaneously. Compression of the plasma of an arc burning at atmospheric pressure was not possible. A low pressure discharge was not sufficiently preionized. The use of a second condensor bank for pre-ionization resulted into contraction and heating. The obtained temperatures were about 40000 deg K. These temperatures may be further increased with more stored energy and a faster energy release of the capacitor bank feeding the magnetic field. The third experiment was the linear pinch. Discharge in helium proved the existence of two outer zones of different temperatures. In the center of the discharge tube temperatures higher than 80000 deg K were obtained. The pressure was about 15 atm and the radiation corresponds to thermal excitation. In the last experiments the production of plasmas of about 10/sup 5/ deg K was achieved. The methods developed to measure temperatures, proved to be exact for temperatures up to 50000 deg K, could be used in the present research. (auth)

• Research Organization: Kiel. Universitat. Institut fur Experimentelle Physik
• NSA Number: NSA-15-030831
• OSTI ID: 4834034
• Report Number(s): ARL-146
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ELECTRIC ARCS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRICITY
ENERGY
ENGINEERING AND EQUIPMENT
HELIUM
IONIZATION
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MEASURED VALUES
PLASMA
PRESSURE
PULSE GENERATORS
TEMPERATURE
THERMAL RADIATION