Coaxial Plasma Gun Research Articles

Characteristics of Pulsed Heavy Ion Beam Generated in Bipolar Pulse Accelerator

SUMMARYWe have developed a new type of a pulsed ion beam accelerator named “bipolar pulse accelerator” for improvement of the purity of the intense pulsed ion beam. The system utilizes a magnetically insulated accelerate on gap and was operated with the bipolar pulse. A coaxial gas puff plasma gun was used as an ion source, which was placed inside of the grounded anode. Source plasma (nitrogen) of current density of ≈30 A/cm2 and pulse duration of ≈1.0 μs was injected into the acceleration gap. When the bipolar pulse of −114 kV, 70 ns (first pulse) and 85 kV, 62 ns (second pulse) was applied to the drift tube, the ions were successfully accelerated from the grounded anode to the drift tube in the first gap by the negative pulse of the bipolar pulse. The pulsed ion beam with current density of 60 A/cm2 and pulse duration of ≈50 ns was obtained at 48 mm downstream from the anode surface. The energy spectrum of the ion beam was evaluated by a magnetic energy spectrometer. The ion energy was in reasonable good agreement with the acceleration voltage, that is, first pulse (negative pulse) voltage of the bipolar pulse.

Characterization of compact-toroid injection during formation, translation, and field penetration.

We have developed a compact toroid (CT) injector system for particle refueling of the advanced beam-driven C-2U field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasma. The CT injector is a magnetized coaxial plasma gun (MCPG), and the produced CT must cross the perpendicular magnetic field surrounding the FRC for the refueling of C-2U. To simulate this environment, an experimental test stand has been constructed. A transverse magnetic field of ∼1 kG is established, which is comparable to the C-2U axial magnetic field in the confinement section, and CTs are fired across it. On the test stand we have been characterizing and studying CT formation, ejection/translation from the MCPG, and penetration into transverse magnetic fields.

Development of a magnetized coaxial plasma gun for compact toroid injection into the C-2 field-reversed configuration device.

A compact toroid (CT) injector was developed for the C-2 device, primarily for refueling of field-reversed configurations. The CTs are formed by a magnetized coaxial plasma gun (MCPG), which consists of coaxial cylindrical electrodes and a bias coil for creating a magnetic field. First, a plasma ring is generated by a discharge between the electrodes and is accelerated by Lorenz self-force. Then, the plasma ring is captured by an interlinkage flux (poloidal flux). Finally, the fully formed CT is ejected from the MCPG. The MCPG described herein has two gas injection ports that are arranged tangentially on the outer electrode. A tungsten-coated inner electrode has a head which can be replaced with a longer one to extend the length of the acceleration region for the CT. The developed MCPG has achieved supersonic CT velocities of ∼100 km/s. Plasma parameters for electron density, electron temperature, and the number of particles are ∼5 × 10(21) m(-3), ∼40 eV, and 0.5-1.0 × 10(19), respectively.

Vapor shielding effects on energy transfer from plasma-gun generated ELM-like transient loads to material surfaces

Energy transfer processes from ELM-like pulsed helium (He) plasmas with a pulse duration of ∼0.1 ms to aluminum (Al) and tungsten (W) surfaces were experimentally investigated by the use of a magnetized coaxial plasma gun device. The surface absorbed energy density of the He pulsed plasma on the W surface measured with a calorimeter was ∼0.44 MJ m−2, whereas it was ∼0.15 MJ m−2 on the Al surface. A vapor layer in front of the Al surface exposed to the He pulsed plasma was clearly identified by Al neutral emission line (Al i) measured with a high time resolution spectrometer, and fast imaging with a high-speed visible camera filtered around the Al i emission line. On the other hand, no clear evaporation in front of the W surface exposed to the He pulsed plasma was observed in the present condition. Discussions on the reduction in the surface absorbed energy density on the Al surface are provided by considering the latent heat of vaporization and radiation cooling due to the Al vapor cloud.

磁化同軸プラズマガン装置におけるCTプラズマの特性評価とパルス高熱負荷模擬試験への適用

A magnetized coaxial plasma gun (MCPG) device at Univ. of Hyogo was used as a simulation facility for pulse heat loads such as ELMs (Edge Localized Modes) onto plasma-facing materials in magnetically confined fusion devices. In the present study, characterization of the compact toroid (CT) plasmas produced by the MCPG device was performed. Dependences of the CT plasma parameters of line-averaged electron density, ion temperature and flow velocity on the gun discharge voltage and the bias magnetic flux were measured. As a result, it was observed that the pulse length, the line-averaged electron density, and the ion temperature and flow velocity were approximately 200 µs, approximately 6×1021 m-3, approximately 30 eV, and approximately 50 km s-1, respectively. The surface energy density measured with a tungsten calorimeter was approximately 0.4 MJ m-2. Thus, it was shown that the ELM-like pulsed plasma heat loads with the energy density and the pulsed length predicted in the ITER divertor can be produced using the MCPG device.

A fibre based triature interferometer for measuring rapidly evolving, ablatively driven plasma densities.

We report on the first use of a fibre interferometer incorporating triature analysis for measuring rapidly evolving plasma densities of n(e) ∼ 10(13)/cm(3) and above, such as those produced by simple coaxial plasma guns. The resultant system is extremely portable, easy to field in experiments, relatively cheap to produce, and—with the exception of a small open area in which the plasma is sampled—safe in operation as all laser light is enclosed.

Synthesis method for ultrananocrystalline diamond in powder employing a coaxial arc plasma gun

A new method that enables us to synthesize ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) in powder is proposed. Highly energetic carbon species ejected from a graphite cathode of a coaxial arc plasma gun were provided on a quartz plate at a high density by repeated arc discharge in a compact vacuum chamber, and resultant films automatically peeled from the plate were aggregated and powdered. The grain size was easily controlled from 2.4 to 15.0 nm by changing the arc discharge energy. It was experimentally demonstrated that the proposed method is a new and promising method that enables us to synthesize UNCD in powder easily and controllably.

Plasma-gun-assisted field-reversed configuration formation in a conical θ-pinch

Injection of plasma via an annular array of coaxial plasma guns during the pre-ionization phase of field-reversed configuration (FRC) formation is shown to catalyze the bulk ionization of a neutral gas prefill in the presence of a strong axial magnetic field and change the character of outward flux flow during field-reversal from a convective process to a much slower resistive diffusion process. This approach has been found to significantly improve FRC formation in a conical θ-pinch, resulting in a ∼350% increase in trapped flux at typical operating conditions, an expansion of accessible formation parameter space to lower densities and higher temperatures, and a reduction or elimination of several deleterious effects associated with the pre-ionization phase.

Experimental demonstration of Martian soil simulant removal from a surface using a pulsed plasma jet.

A plasma jet produced in a small coaxial plasma gun operated at voltages up to 2 kV and working in pure carbon dioxide (CO2) at a few Torr is used to remove Martian soil simulant from a surface. A capacitor with 0.5 mF is charged up from a high voltage source and supplies the power to the coaxial electrodes. The muzzle of the coaxial plasma gun is placed at a few millimeters near the dusty surface and the jet is fired parallel with the surface. Removal of dust is imaged in real time with a high speed camera. Mars regolith simulant JSC-Mars-1A with particle sizes up to 5 mm is used on different types of surfaces made of aluminium, cotton fabric, polyethylene, cardboard, and phenolic.

Dense Plasma Focus - From Alternative Fusion Source to Versatile High Energy Density Plasma Source for Plasma Nanotechnology

The dense plasma focus (DPF), a coaxial plasma gun, utilizes pulsed high current electrical discharge to heat and compress the plasma to very high density and temperature with energy densities in the range of 1-10×1010 J/m3. The DPF device has always been in the company of several alternative magnetic fusion devices as it produces intense fusion neutrons. Several experiments conducted on many different DPF devices ranging over several order of storage energy have demonstrated that at higher storage energy the neutron production does not follow I4 scaling laws and deteriorate significantly raising concern about the device's capability and relevance for fusion energy. On the other hand, the high energy density pinch plasma in DPF device makes it a multiple radiation source of ions, electron, soft and hard x-rays, and neutrons, making it useful for several applications in many different fields such as lithography, radiography, imaging, activation analysis, radioisotopes production etc. Being a source of hot dense plasma, strong shockwave, intense energetic beams and radiation, etc, the DPF device, additionally, shows tremendous potential for applications in plasma nanoscience and plasma nanotechnology. In the present paper, the key features of plasma focus device are critically discussed to understand the novelties and opportunities that this device offers in processing and synthesis of nanophase materials using, both, the top-down and bottom-up approach. The results of recent key experimental investigations performed on (i) the processing and modification of bulk target substrates for phase change, surface reconstruction and nanostructurization, (ii) the nanostructurization of PLD grown magnetic thin films, and (iii) direct synthesis of nanostructured (nanowire, nanosheets and nanoflowers) materials using anode target material ablation, ablated plasma and background reactive gas based synthesis and purely gas phase synthesis of various different types of nanostructured materials using DPF device will discussed to establish this device as versatile tool for plasma nanotechnology.

Influence of discharge parameters on blow-by in a coaxial plasma gun

The blow-by which occurs in a coaxial plasma gun is the result of reinforcing feedback caused by the gradient of magnetic field and the component of axial current due to the canting of current sheath. The blow-by has become a serious negative effect which limits the effective use of the coaxial plasma gun, so it is necessary to study by experiment the parameters that influence the degree of blow-by. This will not only contribute to the study of the theory and mode about blow-by but also give advices to the weakening or eliminating blow-by by choosing suitable parameters in engineering field. The degree of blow-by can be observed directly by photomultiplier, and the influence of voltage of capacitance, capacitance, and the pressure of gas on blow-by have also been studied. It is shown that the blow-by would become more serious with the increase of capacitance or the voltage of capacitance while it becomes weaker with the increase of gas pressure. These phenomena can be explained based on the snowplow model. We consider that the increase of capacitance or the voltage of capacitance can make the current sheath canting more serious, however it would reduce the degree of current sheath canting with the increase of gas pressure. So the blow-by can be controlled by the parameters which influence current sheath canting.

Surface modifications on toughened, fine-grained, recrystallized tungsten with repetitive ELM-like pulsed plasma irradiation

Surface modifications of toughened, fine-grained, recrystallized tungsten (TFGR W) materials with 1.1wt.% TiC and 3.3wt.% TaC dispersoids due to repetitive ELM-like pulsed (∼0.15ms) helium plasma irradiation have been investigated by using a magnetized coaxial plasma gun. No surface cracking at the center part of the TFGR W samples exposed to 20 plasma pulses of ∼0.3MJm−2 was observed. The suppression of surface crack formation due to the increase of the grain boundary strength by addition of TiC and TaC dispersoids was confirmed in comparison with a pure W material. On the other hand, surface cracks and small pits appeared at the edge part of the TFGR W sample after the pulsed plasma irradiation. Erosion of the TiC and TaC dispersoids due to the pulsed plasma irradiation could cause the small pits on the surface, resulting in the surface crack formation.

The HelCat basic plasma science device

TheHelicon-Cathode(HelCat) device is a medium-size linear experiment suitable for a wide range of basic plasma science experiments in areas such as electrostatic turbulence and transport, magnetic relaxation, and high power microwave (HPM)-plasma interactions. The HelCat device is based on dual plasma sources located at opposite ends of the 4 m long vacuum chamber – an RF helicon source at one end and a thermionic cathode at the other. Thirteen coils provide an axial magnetic fieldB⩾ 0.220 T that can be configured individually to give various magnetic configurations (e.g. solenoid, mirror, cusp). Additional plasma sources, such as a compact coaxial plasma gun, are also utilized in some experiments, and can be located either along the chamber for perpendicular (to the background magnetic field) plasma injection, or at one of the ends for parallel injection. Using the multiple plasma sources, a wide range of plasma parameters can be obtained. Here, the HelCat device is described in detail and some examples of results from previous and ongoing experiments are given. Additionally, examples of planned experiments and device modifications are also discussed.

Experimental investigation of vapor shielding effects induced by ELM-like pulsed plasma loads using the double plasma gun device

We have developed a unique experimental device of so-called double plasma gun, which consists of two magnetized coaxial plasma gun (MCPG) devices, in order to clarify effects of vapor shielding on material erosion due to transient events in magnetically confined fusion devices. Two ELM-like pulsed plasmas produced by the two MCPG devices were injected into a target chamber with a variable time difference. For generating ablated plasmas in front of a target material, an aluminum foil sample in the target chamber was exposed to a pulsed plasma produced by the 1st MCPG device. The 2nd pulsed plasma was produced with a time delay of 70μs. It was found that a surface absorbed energy measured by a calorimeter was reduced to ∼66% of that without the Al foil sample. Thus, the reduction of the incoming plasma energy by the vapor shielding effect was successfully demonstrated in the present experiment.

Development and Evaluation of Deposition System by Utilizing a Coaxial Plasma Gun

Development and Evaluation of Deposition System by Utilizing a Coaxial Plasma Gun

TiH2/C60 Cartridge Injector of Plasma Jet System for Disruption Mitigation in Tokamaks

Disruption mitigation in tokamaks by impurity injection aims to reduce the heat load and mechanical forces and to collisionally suppress runaway electrons. Rapid injection of sufficient mass, high penetrability, and large assimilation fraction in the core plasma together with rapid impurity redistribution over the whole plasma are required. FAR-TECH Inc. proposed the innovative idea of using hypervelocity ([greater-than or equivalent to]4 km/s), high-density ([greater-than or equivalent to]1017 cm−3), high-ram-pressure C60 nanoparticle plasma jets to deliver the impurity mass in [approximately]1 ms. For this purpose a large C60 gas mass of explosively sublimated powder, generated by a solid-state, pulsed-power-driven source injector cartridge containing TiH2 grains and C60 powder, is ionized and accelerated in a plasma accelerator. We report here the characterization of the TiH2/C60 injector cartridge using a 5-kJ capacitive driver, which produced up to [approximately]210 mg of C60 gas in <0.5 ms. The TiH2/C60 cartridge is the key component of the 100-kJ coaxial plasma gun ([approximately]35-cm length) prototype developed for a proof-of-principle experiment on a tokamak. Three-dimensional simulations show that a heavy C60 plasmoid penetrates deeply, as a compact structure, through a transverse magnetic barrier.

A Thomson-type mass and energy spectrometer for characterizing ion energy distributions in a coaxial plasma gun operating in a gas-puff mode

Measurements of ion energy distribution are performed in the accelerated plasma of a coaxial electromagnetic plasma gun operating in a gas-puff mode at relatively low discharge energy (900 J) and discharge potential (4 kV). The measurements are made using a Thomson-type mass and energy spectrometer with a gated microchannel plate and phosphor screen as the ion sensor. The parabolic ion trajectories are captured from the sensor screen with an intensified charge-coupled detector camera. The spectrometer was designed and calibrated using the Geant4 toolkit, accounting for the effects on the ion trajectories of spatial non-uniformities in the spectrometer magnetic and electric fields. Results for hydrogen gas puffs indicate the existence of a class of accelerated protons with energies well above the coaxial discharge potential (up to 24 keV). The Thomson analyzer confirms the presence of impurities of copper and iron, also of relatively high energies, which are likely erosion or sputter products from plasma-electrode interactions.

Observation of a Relaxed Plasma State in a Quasi-Infinite Cylinder

A helical relaxed plasma state is observed in a long cylindrical volume. The cylinder is long enough so that the predicted minimum energy state is a close approximation to the infinite cylinder solution. The plasma is injected at v ≥ 50 km/s by a coaxial magnetized plasma gun located at one end of the cylindrical volume. The relaxed state is rapidly attained in 1-2 axial Alfvén times after initiation of the plasma. Magnetic data are favorably compared with an analytical model. Magnetic data exhibit broadband fluctuations of the measured axial modes during the formation period. The broadband activity rapidly decays as the energy condenses into the lowest energy mode, which is in agreement with the minimum energy eigenstate of [Symbol: see text] × B = λB.

Surface cracking and melting of different tungsten grades under transient heat and particle loads in a magnetized coaxial plasma gun

Surface damage of pure tungsten (W), W alloys with 2 wt.% tantalum (W–Ta) and vacuum plasma spray (VPS) W coating on a reduced activation material of ferritic steel (F82H) due to repetitive ELM-like pulsed (∼0.3 ms) deuterium plasma irradiation has been investigated by using a magnetized coaxial plasma gun. Surface cracks appeared on a pure W sample exposed to 10 plasma pulses of ∼0.3 MJ m −2 , while a W–Ta sample did not show surface cracks with similar pulsed plasma irradiation. The energy density threshold for surface cracking was significantly increased by the existence of the alloying element of tantalum. No surface morphology change of a VPS W coated F82H sample was observed under 10 plasma pulses of ∼0.3 MJ m −2 , although surface melting and cracks in the resolidification layer occurred at higher energy density of ∼0.9 MJ m −2 . There was no indication of exfoliation of the W coating from the substrate of F82H after the pulsed plasma exposures.

Enhancement of Diamond Crystallite Size of Ultrananocrystalline Diamond/Amorphous Carbon Composite Films by Controlling Arc Discharge Energy of Coaxial Arc Plasma Gun

not Available.