Experimental studies of coaxial plasma-gun current. Final report, November 1985-December 1987

Technical Report · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6582701

Price, D W

This investigation examines a coaxial plasma gun, its plasma sheath currents, and related behavior. Plasma-gun applications are determined by the plasma behavior. The PUFF capacitor bank (72 micro F, 29 nH, 120 kV) drives the plasma gun using a deuterium fill gas. The gas breakdown site is isolated from the dielectric/vacuum interface in the AFWL system. Two-gas valves deliver gas in the system. The first delivers gas from the gun breech and the second optional valve delivers gas to the gun muzzle. Currents and voltages are measured by Rogowski coils, B-dot probes, and capacitive voltage probes. Silver-activation neutron detectors monitor fusion-product neutrons. In the snowplow mode, the plasma sheath is thin with a sharp current rise and drop. In the deflagration mode, the plasma sheath is diffuse over a large volume. Our system operated in a transition mode between the snowplow and deflagration modes with early snowplow behavior and late deflagration behavior. Neutrons are produced in a plasma pinch at the gun muzzle, indicating snowplow behavior. The slug theory models overall gun behavior to experimental accuracy. Sheath-thickness estimates show sheaths of at least 25% the gun length. Experimental results are compared to four theories for plasma-sheath velocities: the Alfven collisionally limited model, the Rosenbluth model, the Fishbine saturated model and a single particle drift model.

• Research Organization: Air Force Weapons Lab., Kirtland AFB, NM (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6582701
• Report Number(s): AD-A-199564/6/XAB; AFWL-TR-88-79
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700103* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research-- Kinetics
ACCURACY
ALFVEN WAVES
CURRENTS
DATA
DETECTION
DIMENSIONS
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GEOMETRY
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
INFORMATION
INTERFACES
MATHEMATICS
NEUTRON DETECTION
NUMERICAL DATA
PARTICLES
PINCH EFFECT
PLASMA GUNS
PLASMA JETS
PLASMA SHEATH
PROBES
PROGRESS REPORT
RADIATION DETECTION
SATURATION
THICKNESS
VELOCITY