Plasma target output from a magnetically augmented, gas-injected, washer-stack plasma gun
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), Vol. 53:11
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
PLASMA GUNS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
TARGETS
ANODES
CATHODES
DEUTERIUM
ELECTRIC ARCS
ELECTRODES
ELECTRON DENSITY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GASES
KILO AMP BEAM CURRENTS
MOLYBDENUM
NEUTRAL BEAM SOURCES
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
PULSES
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
VACUUM SYSTEMS
WALLS
BEAM CURRENTS
CONFINEMENT
CURRENTS
DATA
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
METALS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
STABLE ISOTOPES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
700205* - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Fuel
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