Electrostatic plugging of multidipole cusps. Master's thesis

Technical Report · Sat May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:5300567

Hendricks, K

Electrostatic plugging of multidipole cusps is investigated. The plugging is produced by placing positively biased electrodes on both sides of all magnetic cusps. Experimental observations show the plasma potential follows the electrode potential and the plasma electron density increases by a factor of about two as the electrode bias increases from zero. The addition of a negatively biased grid at one end of the chamber does not change the response of the plasma electron density to the electrode bias. A model, which considers plasma losses along the magnetic cusps as well as by diffusion transverse to the field lines, is shown to qualitatively agree with the data. The elevated interior plasma potential permits the identification and investigation of secondary electron production at the walls. Data is presented which shows that secondary electron emission rate at the chamber walls can be comparable to plasma production rate. A measurement of the relative ion densities of Hydrogen is attempted, but the results are inconclusive as to the effect improved confinement has on the various ion species densities.

• Research Organization: Air Force Inst. of Tech., Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5300567
• Report Number(s): AD-A-133621/3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700202* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Magnet Coils & Fields
CONFINEMENT
CUSPED GEOMETRIES
DIPOLES
ELECTRODES
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
EMISSION
FERMIONS
HYDROGEN
ION DENSITY
LEPTONS
LOSSES
MAGNETIC DIPOLES
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MASS SPECTROMETERS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MULTIPOLES
NONMETALS
OPEN CONFIGURATIONS
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PLUGGING
SECONDARY EMISSION
SPECTROMETERS
VARIATIONS