Measurements of the Parallel and Perpendicular Ion Temperatures by Means of an Ion‐sensitive Segmented Tunnel Probe

Abstract

AbstractLocalised ion temperature measurements can only be performed with special electric probes where the electron component of the current is kept off from the collector. In a strong magnetic field the effect can be utilised that the electron gyro‐radius is much smaller than that of the ions. This method was developed by Katsumata and Okazaki (Japan J. Appl. Phys. 6, 123 (1967)). We have used a so‐called tunnel probe (which consists of a conductive tunnel, terminated by an isolated back plate) by adding a diaphragm in front. Thereby the tunnel is prevented from incident electrons at any potential of both electrodes. By sweeping the potential across the tunnel, the perpendicular ion temperature can be inferred. By segmenting the tunnel axially in two parts also the parallel ion temperature can be determined. When the electrodes are biased to ion saturation, the ratio between the ion currents, which reach the first and the second segment, respectively, is a measure for the parallel ion temperature. The dependence of the ratio of the currents has to be determined by a PIC simulation. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)