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Title: Volumetric plasma source development and characterization.

Abstract

The development of plasma sources with densities and temperatures in the 10{sup 15}-10{sup 17} cm{sup -3} and 1-10eV ranges which are slowly varying over several hundreds of nanoseconds within several cubic centimeter volumes is of interest for applications such as intense electron beam focusing as part of the x-ray radiography program. In particular, theoretical work [1,2] suggests that replacing neutral gas in electron beam focusing cells with highly conductive, pre-ionized plasma increases the time-averaged e-beam intensity on target, resulting in brighter x-ray sources. This LDRD project was an attempt to generate such a plasma source from fine metal wires. A high voltage (20-60kV), high current (12-45kA) capacitive discharge was sent through a 100 {micro}m diameter aluminum wire forming a plasma. The plasma's expansion was measured in time and space using spectroscopic techniques. Lineshapes and intensities from various plasma species were used to determine electron and ion densities and temperatures. Electron densities from the mid-10{sup 15} to mid-10{sup 16} cm{sup -3} were generated with corresponding electron temperatures of between 1 and 10eV. These parameters were measured at distances of up to 1.85 cm from the wire surface at times in excess of 1 {micro}s from the initial wire breakdown event. Inmore » addition, a hydrocarbon plasma from surface contaminants on the wire was also measured. Control of these contaminants by judicious choice of wire material, size, and/or surface coating allows for the ability to generate plasmas with similar density and temperature to those given above, but with lower atomic masses.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2]; ;  [1]; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. National Security Technologies, LLC, Las Vegas, NV
  2. Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
942062
Report Number(s):
SAND2008-6161
TRN: US0900369
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS; PLASMA PRODUCTION; PLASMA DENSITY; ELECTRON TEMPERATURE; ION TEMPERATURE; ELECTRON BEAMS; FOCUSING; X-RAY SOURCES; ELECTRON BEAMS -FOCUSING; Radiography.; Plasma spectroscopy.

Citation Formats

Crain, Marlon D, Maron, Yitzhak, Oliver, Bryan Velten, Starbird, Robert L, Johnston, Mark D, Hahn, Kelly Denise, Mehlhorn, Thomas Alan, Droemer, Darryl W, and National Security Technologies, LLC, Las Vegas, NV. Volumetric plasma source development and characterization.. United States: N. p., 2008. Web. doi:10.2172/942062.
Crain, Marlon D, Maron, Yitzhak, Oliver, Bryan Velten, Starbird, Robert L, Johnston, Mark D, Hahn, Kelly Denise, Mehlhorn, Thomas Alan, Droemer, Darryl W, & National Security Technologies, LLC, Las Vegas, NV. Volumetric plasma source development and characterization.. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/942062
Crain, Marlon D, Maron, Yitzhak, Oliver, Bryan Velten, Starbird, Robert L, Johnston, Mark D, Hahn, Kelly Denise, Mehlhorn, Thomas Alan, Droemer, Darryl W, and National Security Technologies, LLC, Las Vegas, NV. 2008. "Volumetric plasma source development and characterization.". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/942062. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/942062.
@article{osti_942062,
title = {Volumetric plasma source development and characterization.},
author = {Crain, Marlon D and Maron, Yitzhak and Oliver, Bryan Velten and Starbird, Robert L and Johnston, Mark D and Hahn, Kelly Denise and Mehlhorn, Thomas Alan and Droemer, Darryl W and National Security Technologies, LLC, Las Vegas, NV},
abstractNote = {The development of plasma sources with densities and temperatures in the 10{sup 15}-10{sup 17} cm{sup -3} and 1-10eV ranges which are slowly varying over several hundreds of nanoseconds within several cubic centimeter volumes is of interest for applications such as intense electron beam focusing as part of the x-ray radiography program. In particular, theoretical work [1,2] suggests that replacing neutral gas in electron beam focusing cells with highly conductive, pre-ionized plasma increases the time-averaged e-beam intensity on target, resulting in brighter x-ray sources. This LDRD project was an attempt to generate such a plasma source from fine metal wires. A high voltage (20-60kV), high current (12-45kA) capacitive discharge was sent through a 100 {micro}m diameter aluminum wire forming a plasma. The plasma's expansion was measured in time and space using spectroscopic techniques. Lineshapes and intensities from various plasma species were used to determine electron and ion densities and temperatures. Electron densities from the mid-10{sup 15} to mid-10{sup 16} cm{sup -3} were generated with corresponding electron temperatures of between 1 and 10eV. These parameters were measured at distances of up to 1.85 cm from the wire surface at times in excess of 1 {micro}s from the initial wire breakdown event. In addition, a hydrocarbon plasma from surface contaminants on the wire was also measured. Control of these contaminants by judicious choice of wire material, size, and/or surface coating allows for the ability to generate plasmas with similar density and temperature to those given above, but with lower atomic masses.},
doi = {10.2172/942062},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/942062}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2008},
month = {Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2008}
}