Multidiagnostics setups for magnetoplasmas devoted to astrophysics and nuclear astrophysics research in compact traps

Abstract

Magnetized plasmas in compact trap may become experimental environments for the investigation of nuclear β-decays of astrophysical interest. In the framework of the project PANDORA (Plasmas for Astrophysics, Nuclear Decays Observation and Radiation for Archaeometry) the research activities are devoted to demonstrate the feasibility of an experiment aiming at correlating radionuclides lifetimes to the in-plasma ions charge state distribution (CSD). The paper describes the multidiagnostics setup now available at INFN-LNS, which allows unprecedented investigations of magnetoplasma properties in terms of density, temperature and CSD. The developed setup includes an interfero-polarimeter for total plasma density measurements, a multi-X-ray detectors system for X-ray spectroscopy (including time resolved spectroscopy), a X-ray pin-hole camera for high-resolution 2D space resolved spectroscopy and different spectrometers for the plasma-emitted visible light characterization. A description of recent results about plasma parameters characterization in quiescent and turbulent Electron Cyclotron Resonance-heated plasmas will be given. A complete characterization has been already performed, studying, in particular, the time evolution of X-ray spectra and the change of plasma morphology, including the balance between radiation originated in the plasma core and the one due to plasma losses. Finally, the experimental setup is going to be further upgraded in order to allow measurements of nuclear decays in magnetoplasmas.