Plasma target output from a magnetically augmented, gas-injected, washer-stack plasma gun

Journal Article · Mon Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1982 · Rev. Sci. Instrum.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1136871· OSTI ID:7037433

Osher, J E

This article describes a new washer-stack gun design developed for the application of plasma target production for the startup of neutral-beam trapping in a fusion research magnetic confinement system. The gun is a Mo anode type that is D/sub 2/ injected and has an auxiliary pulsed magnet for control of plasma-flux mapping. One of the principal features of 2--10-ms duration pulses for gun operation in a suitable magnetic field is the formation of an arc column along magnetic field lines from the gun's central cathode electrode to the vacuum chamber walls (at common anode potential). The primary power output from a 5.0-cm-i.d. gun is typically carried along this arc column by a stream of approximately 2000 A of 50--250-eV electrons. This primary stream of relatively low-density energetic electrons efficiently ionizes the injected gas, forming a quasi-dc source of denser secondary plasma of approx.10/sup 13//cm/sup 3/ at a few eV, which is able to flow or diffuse away along a somewhat larger column of magnetic field lines. In plasma-target production tests on a test stand, a gun operated at a D/sub 2/ gas flow of 22 Torr ls/sup -1/ yielded 250 A of equivalent plasma flow.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, Livermore, California 94550
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 7037433
• Journal Information: Rev. Sci. Instrum.; (United States), Journal Name: Rev. Sci. Instrum.; (United States) Vol. 53:11; ISSN RSINA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700205* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Fuel
Heating
& Injection Systems
ANODES
BEAM CURRENTS
CATHODES
CONFINEMENT
CURRENTS
DATA
DEUTERIUM
ELECTRIC ARCS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRODES
ELECTRON DENSITY
ELEMENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUIDS
GASES
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
KILO AMP BEAM CURRENTS
LIGHT NUCLEI
MAGNETIC FIELDS
METALS
MOLYBDENUM
NEUTRAL BEAM SOURCES
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
PLASMA GUNS
PULSES
STABLE ISOTOPES
TARGETS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VACUUM SYSTEMS
WALLS