The potential relaxation instability in a helicon plasma

Desjardins, Tiffany R.; Gilmore, Mark

doi:10.1063/1.5030430

Title: The potential relaxation instability in a helicon plasma

Abstract

High positive grid biasing (>10T_e) in a large-scale helicon plasma at the University of New Mexico has led to the excitation of large fluctuations (>50%) in ion saturation current and floating potential at a low frequency (100–300 Hz). Additionally, these fluctuations have been identified as an instability and have been studied under a variety of conditions, including variations in the bias voltage, magnetic field strength, and the length of the plasma column. A series of measurements with Langmuir probes has been used to analyze the characteristics of the fluctuations. The instability has been found to travel predominately along the axis with a speed of 1–3c_s, where c_s is the ion sound speed. The frequency of the mode is found to be dependent on the bias voltage. Increasing the grid bias leads to an increase in the frequency until a second critical voltage causes the fluctuations to disappear. The magnetic field and plasma length are found to affect the amplitude of the mode and the voltage range over which it exists. Finally, this mode has been identified as the potential relaxation instability.

Authors:

^[1]; Gilmore, Mark ^[1]

Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Publication Date:: Fri Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2018

Research Org.:: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE; National Science Foundation (NSF)

OSTI Identifier:: 1469551

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-18-22463
Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-06NA25396

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Physics of Plasmas

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 25; Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY

Citation Formats


                    Desjardins, Tiffany R., and Gilmore, Mark. The potential relaxation instability in a helicon plasma.  United States: N. p., 2018. 
Web.  doi:10.1063/1.5030430.

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                    Desjardins, Tiffany R., & Gilmore, Mark. The potential relaxation instability in a helicon plasma.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5030430

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                    Desjardins, Tiffany R., and Gilmore, Mark. Fri .  
"The potential relaxation instability in a helicon plasma".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5030430.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1469551.

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@article{osti_1469551,

  title        = {The potential relaxation instability in a helicon plasma},

  author       = {Desjardins, Tiffany R. and Gilmore, Mark},

  abstractNote = {High positive grid biasing (>10Te) in a large-scale helicon plasma at the University of New Mexico has led to the excitation of large fluctuations (>50%) in ion saturation current and floating potential at a low frequency (100–300 Hz). Additionally, these fluctuations have been identified as an instability and have been studied under a variety of conditions, including variations in the bias voltage, magnetic field strength, and the length of the plasma column. A series of measurements with Langmuir probes has been used to analyze the characteristics of the fluctuations. The instability has been found to travel predominately along the axis with a speed of 1–3cs, where cs is the ion sound speed. The frequency of the mode is found to be dependent on the bias voltage. Increasing the grid bias leads to an increase in the frequency until a second critical voltage causes the fluctuations to disappear. The magnetic field and plasma length are found to affect the amplitude of the mode and the voltage range over which it exists. Finally, this mode has been identified as the potential relaxation instability.},

  doi          = {10.1063/1.5030430},

  journal      = {Physics of Plasmas},

  number       = 6,

  volume       = 25,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Fri Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2018},

  month        = {Fri Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2018}

}

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https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5030430

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Figures / Tables:

FIG. 1: Grid and ring electrodes that are utilized in HelCat biasing experiments. The grid is approximately 17 cm in diameter and placed 0.6 m from the source. The copper rings are placed at approximately 2.6 m from the source, and in the experiments presented here were used as amore »

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Similar Records

Title: The potential relaxation instability in a helicon plasma

Abstract

Citation Formats

Figures / Tables:

Instability as a source for traveling ion waves journal, January 1976

Instability of the sheath-plasma resonance journal, February 1988

A 1D fluid model for the measurement of perpendicular flow in strongly magnetized plasmas journal, January 1999

The HelCat dual-source plasma device journal, October 2009

Characteristics of the Plasma Resonance Probe journal, December 1964

Production and identification of the ion-temperature-gradient instability journal, January 1991

Observation of Potential Relaxation Instability in a Bounded Discharge Plasma journal, August 1987

Transition from flute modes to drift waves in a magnetized plasma column journal, June 2005

The HelCat basic plasma science device journal, November 2014

Sheaths: More complicated than you think journal, May 2005

Plasmas for space propulsion journal, November 2011

Mode suppression of a two-dimensional potential relaxation instability in a weakly magnetized discharge plasma journal, May 1993

Transverse Velocity Shear Instabilities within a Magnetically Confined Plasma journal, January 1972

Electrostatic ion-cyclotron instability and potential relaxation instability excited by a ring-button electrode journal, February 1987

Potential of a plasma bound between two biased walls journal, August 2012

Global model of a gridded-ion thruster powered by a radiofrequency inductive coil journal, July 2012

Evolution and Large-Electric-Field Suppression of the Transverse Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability journal, November 1970

Interaction of a biased cylinder with a flowing dusty plasma journal, March 2013

The influence of electron/ion collisions on a low-frequency plasma instability journal, November 1993

Transit time instabilities in an inverted fireball. I. Basic properties journal, January 2011

Double Layer Dynamics in a Collisionless Magnetoplasma journal, July 1985

A fluid theory of ion collection by probes in strong magnetic fields with plasma flow journal, January 1987

Plasma Resonance in a Radio-Frequency Probe journal, September 1960

Ionization-induced instability in an electron-collecting sheath journal, March 1988

Electric probes for plasmas: The link between theory and instrument journal, October 2002

Modification of Turbulent Transport with Continuous Variation of Flow Shear in the Large Plasma Device journal, September 2012

Characteristics of Resonance Probes journal, June 1965

Dynamics of flows, fluctuations, and global instability under electrode biasing in a linear plasma device journal, May 2016

A double layer induced ionisation instability journal, June 1990

Edge biasing in tokamaks journal, December 1993

Ionization instability in dusty plasmas journal, September 1997

Microturbulence measurements during the divertor biasing journal, June 1992

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Ion Thruster Development Trends and Status in the United States journal, September 1998

Dynamics of a Potential Barrier Formed on the Tail of a Moving Double Layer in a Collisionless Plasma journal, January 1982

Experimental Analysis of a Low Frequency Instability in a Magnetized Discharge Plasma journal, January 1993

Instability as a source for traveling ion waves
journal, January 1976

Instability of the sheath-plasma resonance
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A 1D fluid model for the measurement of perpendicular flow in strongly magnetized plasmas
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The HelCat dual-source plasma device
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Characteristics of the Plasma Resonance Probe
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Production and identification of the ion-temperature-gradient instability
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Observation of Potential Relaxation Instability in a Bounded Discharge Plasma
journal, August 1987

Transition from flute modes to drift waves in a magnetized plasma column
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The HelCat basic plasma science device
journal, November 2014

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Transverse Velocity Shear Instabilities within a Magnetically Confined Plasma
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Electrostatic ion-cyclotron instability and potential relaxation instability excited by a ring-button electrode
journal, February 1987

Potential of a plasma bound between two biased walls
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Evolution and Large-Electric-Field Suppression of the Transverse Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability
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Interaction of a biased cylinder with a flowing dusty plasma
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The influence of electron/ion collisions on a low-frequency plasma instability
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Transit time instabilities in an inverted fireball. I. Basic properties
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Double Layer Dynamics in a Collisionless Magnetoplasma
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A fluid theory of ion collection by probes in strong magnetic fields with plasma flow
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Plasma Resonance in a Radio-Frequency Probe
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