Radial Plasma Research Articles

A biased probe analysis of potential well formation in an electron only, low beta Polywell magnetic field

Orbital limited motion theory has been applied to two biased probes in a low beta Polywell. The cases studied include electron injection, magnetic field scaling, Polywell bias scaling, and radial position profiles. Langmuir's original orbital limited motion results for a monoenergetic electron beam are shown to be in excellent agreement for electron injection into the Polywell. A distribution function is proposed for the electron plasma characteristics in the centre of the magnetic null and confirmed with experimental results. A translational stage was used to measure the radial plasma potential profile. In other experiments, two probes were used to simultaneously measure the profiles in both the null and a position halfway along a corner cusp. The results confirm a radial potential well created by electron trapping in the device. In addition, we present preliminary results of the potential well scaling with the magnetic field, Polywell bias voltage, and the injected beam current. The electron population was found to maintain non-equilibrium in all cases studied.

Improvement of Measurement Accuracy of the Phase Imaging Interferometer in GAMMA 10

A 16-channel microwave interferometer with the phase imaging method has been reconstructed to obtain the radial plasma density distributions at the west plug cell in the GAMMA 10 tandem mirror. Signals measured by the interferometer have DC offsets, which cause a measurable error in the phase imaging measurement system. We propose the method to eliminate DC offsets from the signals in each channel easily on the analysis software.

Impact of static magnetic fields on the radial line slot antenna plasma source

The radial line slot antenna plasma source is used in semiconductor device fabrication. As is the case for all plasma sources, ever more strict uniformity control requirements are driven by the precision demands of new device technologies. Large volume diffusion plasmas, of which the radial line slot antenna source is one type, must overcome transport effects or diffusion modes that tend to “center peak” the plasma density near the wafer being processed. One way to resolve problematic transport effects is the insertion of magnetic fields into the plasma region. In this paper, the impact of the magnetic field on plasma properties is parameterized as a function of slot configuration. The magnetic field orientation and the magnitude of magnetic field are varied in a computational study in which the source is modeled as a two-dimensional axisymmetric quasineutral plasma. This work employs a finite element model simulation. The magnitude of magnetic fields considered is 50 Gauss maximum with a microwave power of 3000 W at a pressure of 20 mTorr. 20 mTorr is chosen as this is a condition where diffusion effects are challenging to counteract. The study showed that there are specific conditions for slot configuration and magnetic field that improve the plasma controllability and some that do not. Plasma property modulation is most effective when the plasma source region is placed at large radius with axial magnetic fields. There are synergistic effects between the slot location and magnetic field that are important and placing large magnetic fields at the chamber edge alone does not result in improved uniformity. Electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) heating and the impact of pulsing the magnetic fields are presented. ECR heating is not important for the conditions relevant to this paper and pulsing is shown to have benefit.

Computational modeling study of the radial line slot antenna microwave plasma source with comparisons to experiments

The radial line slot antenna plasma source is a high-density microwave plasma source comprising a high electron temperature source region within the plasma skin depth from a coupling window and low electron temperature diffusion region far from the window. The plasma is typically comprised of inert gases like argon and mixtures of halogen or fluorocarbon gases for etching. Following the experimental study of Tian et al. [J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 24, 1421 (2006)], a two-dimensional computational model is used to describe the essential features of the source. A high density argon plasma is described using the quasi-neutral approximation and coupled to a frequency-domain electromagnetic wave solver to describe the plasma-microwave interactions in the source. The plasma is described using a multispecies plasma chemistry mechanism developed specifically for microwave excitation conditions. The plasma is nonlocal by nature with locations of peak power deposition and peak plasma density being very different. The spatial distribution of microwave power coupling depends on whether the plasma is under- or over-dense and is described well by the model. The model predicts the experimentally observed low-order diffusion mode radial plasma profiles. The trends of spatial profiles of electron density and electron temperature over a wide range of power and pressure conditions compare well with experimental results.

Derivation of radial electric fields using kinetic theory in tokamak

AbstractIn the current study, radial electric field with fluid equations has been calculated. The calculation started with kinetic theory, Boltzmann and momentum balance equations were derived, the negligible terms compared with others were eliminated, and the radial electric field expression in steady state was derived. As mentioned in previous researches, this expression includes all types of particles such as electrons, ions, and neutrals. The consequence of this solution reveals that three major driving forces contribute in radial electric field: radial pressure gradient, poloidal rotation, and toroidal rotation; rotational terms mean Lorentz force. Therefore, radial electric field and plasma rotation are connected through the radial momentum balance.

The role of drifts in the plasma transport at the tokamak core–SOL interface

The interface between the core (inside the magnetic separatrix in X-point configurations) and the scrape-off layer (SOL) of tokamaks is a delicate region of the magnetic topology transition from closed to open field lines where neither the standard neoclassical theory nor the SOL physics fully apply. Sharp gradients of plasma parameters in the outer core, caused by the proximity of divertor sinks in the near SOL, invalidate some ordering assumptions of the neoclassical theory. At the same time, the existence of closed flux surfaces in the core enforces ambipolarity of radial plasma flows, in difference to the situation in the SOL where the current loop may close through the divertor. Detailed analysis of the plasma transport and flows with the emphasis on the outer core region, just inside the separatrix, is carried out in the paper, based on EDGE2D modelling and analytical formulas.

Pairing of charged particles in a quantum plasmoid

We study a quantum spherically symmetric object which is based on radial plasma oscillations. Such a plasmoid is supposed to exist in a dense plasma containing electrons, ions and neutral particles. The method of creation and annihilation operators is applied to quantize the motion of charged particles in a self-consistent potential. We also study the effective interaction between oscillating particles owing to the exchange of a virtual acoustic wave, which is excited in the neutral component of plasma. It is shown that this interaction can be attractive and result in the formation of ion pairs. We discuss possible applications of this phenomenon in astrophysical and terrestrial plasmas.

Nonisothermal theory of the positive column of an electric discharge in the axial magnetic field

A nonisothermal model of the positive column allowing for electron energy balance is analyzed. The influence of the axial magnetic field on the characteristics of the cylindrical positive column of a low-pressure discharge is investigated in the hydrodynamic approximation. It is shown that the magnetic field affects the plasma density distribution, plasma velocity, and electron energies. The radial dependences of the plasma density, electron energy, and plasma velocity, as well as the azimuthal velocities of electrons and ions, are calculated for helium at different values of the magnetic field strength. It is established that inertia should be taken into account in the equations for the azimuthal motion of electrons and ions. The results obtained in the hydrodynamic approximation differ significantly from those obtained in the framework of the common diffusion model of the positive column in the axial magnetic field. It is shown that the distributions of the plasma density and radial plasma velocity in the greater part of the positive column tend to those obtained in the diffusion approximation at higher values of the axial magnetic field and gas density, although substantial differences remain in the near-wall region.

Frequency doubling and field‐aligned ion streaming in a long‐period poloidal pulsation

We reexamine a long‐period (10–18 min) poloidal pulsation observed by THEMIS‐A in the outer dawn magnetosphere from 10:00 to 12:30 UT on 7 November 2007. The interval was originally reported by Korotova et al. (2009). Although the nonlinear compressional plasma and magnetic field perturbations observed by THEMIS‐A during this interval agree well with model predictions for the linear perturbations associated with antisymmetric waves generated by the ballooning‐mirror mode instability, the phase relationships between these perturbations indicates a complex frequency rather than the purely imaginary frequency that theory predicts for the outer dawnside magnetosphere. Variations in the radial plasma velocity confirm that a phase‐locked north/south oscillation in the equatorial line of nodes associated with the ballooning‐mirror mode waves doubles the frequency of the compressional component of the magnetic field during these pulsations. The same velocity and magnetic field perturbations exclude explanations for the frequency doubling in terms of spatial gradients sweeping back and forth across the spacecraft or drift‐bounce resonances. Azimuthal electric fields associated with the pulsations generate field‐aligned anisotropies in the pitch angle distributions that become more prominent with increasing ion energy due to the presence of drift‐shell splitting and radial flux gradients that steepen with increasing energy. Although there was no evidence for drift‐bounce interactions during this event, the role of such events in ion energization in other events and at other locations remains to be evaluated.

FPGA based Fuzzy Logic Controller for plasma position control in ADITYA Tokamak

Tokamaks are the most promising devices for obtaining nuclear fusion energy from high-temperature, ionized gas termed as Plasma. The successful operation of tokamak depends on its ability to confine plasma at the geometric center of vacuum vessel with sufficient stability. The quality of plasma discharge in ADITYA Tokamak is strongly related to the radial position of the plasma column in the vacuum vessel. If the plasma column approaches too near to the wall of vacuum vessel, it leads to minor or complete disruption of plasma. Hence the control of plasma position throughout the entire plasma discharge duration is a fundamental requirement. This paper describes Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) which is designed for radial plasma position control. This controller is tested and evaluated on the ADITYA RZIP control model. The performance of this FLC was compared with that of Proportional–Integral–Derivative (PID) Controller and the response was found to be faster and smoother. FLC was implemented on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) chip with the use of a Very High-Speed Integrated-Circuits Hardware Description-Language (VHDL).

Resonant magnetic perturbation effects on pedestal structure and ELMs

The plasma transport processes by which externally applied resonant magnetic field perturbations (RMPs) mitigate or suppress edge-localized modes (ELMs) in low-collisionality tokamak H-mode plasmas are explored. Experimental data from DIII-D indicates the dominant RMP-induced transport occurs at the pedestal top where electron temperature gradient scale lengths increase up to 3 times more than density gradient scale lengths. The increases scale approximately with the square of the strength of the RMPs. Since flow screening is predicted to inhibit magnetic island formation and magnetic stochasticity, a plasma transport model that does not depend on stochasticity is apparently needed. Thus, a basic magnetic-flutter-based cylindrical screw-pinch model theory of plasma transport is developed. A key attribute of this new model is that while RMP-induced radial magnetic perturbations can be significantly reduced on rational surfaces by flow screening, they induce spatial magnetic flutter away from them and thereby can cause substantial radial plasma transport. The plasma transport predictions of this spatial flutter model are compared with the DIII-D transport data.

No meridional plasma flow in the heliosheath transition region

Over a two-year period, Voyager 1 observed a gradual slowing-down of radial plasma flow in the heliosheath to near-zero velocity after April 2010 at a distance of 113.5 astronomical units from the Sun (1 astronomical unit equals 1.5 × 10(8) kilometres). Voyager 1 was then about 20 astronomical units beyond the shock that terminates the free expansion of the solar wind and was immersed in the heated non-thermal plasma region called the heliosheath. The expectation from contemporary simulations was that the heliosheath plasma would be deflected from radial flow to meridional flow (in solar heliospheric coordinates), which at Voyager 1 would lie mainly on the (locally spherical) surface called the heliopause. This surface is supposed to separate the heliosheath plasma, which is of solar origin, from the interstellar plasma, which is of local Galactic origin. In 2011, the Voyager project began occasional temporary re-orientations of the spacecraft (totalling about 10-25 hours every 2 months) to re-align the Low-Energy Charged Particle instrument on board Voyager 1 so that it could measure meridional flow. Here we report that, contrary to expectations, these observations yielded a meridional flow velocity of +3 ± 11 km s(-1), that is, one consistent with zero within statistical uncertainties.

Introducing minimum Fisher regularisation tomography to AXUV and soft x-ray diagnostic systems of the COMPASS tokamak

The contribution focuses on plasma tomography via the minimum Fisher regularisation (MFR) algorithm applied on data from the recently commissioned tomographic diagnostics on the COMPASS tokamak. The MFR expertise is based on previous applications at Joint European Torus (JET), as exemplified in a new case study of the plasma position analyses based on JET soft x-ray (SXR) tomographic reconstruction. Subsequent application of the MFR algorithm on COMPASS data from cameras with absolute extreme ultraviolet (AXUV) photodiodes disclosed a peaked radiating region near the limiter. Moreover, its time evolution indicates transient plasma edge cooling following a radial plasma shift. In the SXR data, MFR demonstrated that a high resolution plasma positioning independent of the magnetic diagnostics would be possible provided that a proper calibration of the cameras on an x-ray source is undertaken.

Separate control between geometrical and electrical asymmetry effects in capacitively coupled plasmas

Both geometrical and electrical asymmetry effects in capacitive argon discharges are investigated using a two-dimensional particle-in-cell coupled with Monte Carlo collision model. When changing the ratio of the top and bottom electrode surface areas and the phase shift between the two applied harmonics, the induced self-bias was found to develop separately. By adjusting the ratio between the high and low harmonic amplitudes, the electrical asymmetry effect at a fixed phase shift can be substantially optimized. However, the self-bias caused by the geometrical asymmetry hardly changed. Moreover, the separate control of these two asymmetry effects can also be demonstrated from their power absorption profiles. Both the axial and radial plasma density distributions can be modulated by the electrical asymmetry effect.

Pedestal Structure Model

Predictions are developed for gradients and profiles of the electron density and temperature in tokamak H-mode pedestals that are in transport quasiequilibrium. They are based on assuming paleoclassical processes provide the irreducible minimum radial plasma transport and dominate in the steep gradient regions of pedestals. The predictions agree (within a factor of about two) with properties of a number of pedestal experimental results.

Measurement and modelling of a radiofrequency micro-thruster

A capacitively coupled radiofrequency (rf) (13.56 MHz) cylindrical argon micro-discharge expanding into a larger glass tube is studied by performing optical and electrical measurements over a pressure range 0.3–5 Torr and a rf power range 5–40 W. Measurements of the axial and radial plasma density profiles at the Paschen minimum near 1.5 Torr are used to develop a global model of the discharge and estimate neutral heating from ion–neutral charge exchange collisions for micro-propulsion applications.

The preliminary tests of the superconducting electron cyclotron resonance ion source DECRIS-SC2

A new compact version of the "liquid He-free" superconducting ECR ion source, to be used as an injector of highly charged heavy ions for the MC-400 cyclotron, is designed and built at the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions in collaboration with the Laboratory of High Energy Physics of JINR. The axial magnetic field of the source is created by the superconducting magnet and the NdFeB hexapole is used for the radial plasma confinement. The microwave frequency of 14 GHz is used for ECR plasma heating. During the first tests, the source shows a good enough performance for the production of medium charge state ions. In this paper, we will present the design parameters and the preliminary results with gaseous ions.

An isotopic perspective on mass bias and matrix effects in multi-collector inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometry

Lead and Tl isotope intensities and ratios were measured in radial and axial plasma profiles using multi-collector inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). Signal profiles for 204Pb, 206Pb, 207Pb and 208Pb display mass dependent radial and axial distributions in the plasma. In radial profiles lighter isotopes exhibit greater dispersal from the plasma axis than heavier isotopes, in agreement with ICP-MS elemental observations. However, signal maxima (Imax) for heavier Pb isotopes occur closer to the load coil than Imax for lighter Pb isotopes, the reverse of ICP-MS elemental observations. These mass dependent distributions predict that the radial dispersion and axial Imax locations for 203Tl and 205Tl isotopes should occur interspersed with the values for simultaneously measured Pb isotopes. Instead however, their values are appropriate for masses greater that 208Pb, indicating that the observed profiles are not the product of a single stage mass dependent process and that other element properties also effect the distributions. Isotope ratio (and thus mass bias) variation with sampling depth reflects both the mass dependent separation of the numerator and denominator isotope Imax along the axis of the plasma and the distance along the axis of the plasma over which the isotope signals are distributed. Addition of matrix to the plasma significantly reduces the variability of these two characteristics suggesting that more accurate correction of instrumental mass bias and more accurate normalization of sample ratios to standard values could be achieved by addition of a common matrix to samples and standards.

Development and application of a LC–MS/MS method to quantify basal adenosine concentration in human plasma from patients undergoing on-pump CABG surgery

A sensitive and robust LC–MS/MS method was developed to quantify basal adenosine concentrations in human plasma of patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. A strong cation exchange (SCX) monolithic cartridge was used to enrich analyte, improve robustness, and reduce biological complexity. A simple modifier-free mobile phase was employed to improve sensitivity and reproducibility. This method exhibits consistent precision and accuracy, and the RSDs or REs of all the intraday and interday determinations were within 10%. The calibration curve was linear across the examined dynamic range from 1nM to 500nM (r2=0.996). LOD and LOQ were determined to be 0.257nM and 0.857nM respectively, while LLOQ was below 10nM. This method was used to monitor changes of adenosine levels in patient plasma drawn intraoperatively during on-pump CABG surgery. The analysis of 84 patients revealed that the mean concentration of adenosine in coronary sinus plasma after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is higher than that in coronary sinus before CPB (p=0.0024; two-tailed t-test) and that in radial artery plasma after CPB (p=0.0409; two-tailed t-test). These findings suggest that the equilibrium between adenosine production and elimination has favored the elevation of adenosine basal level during on-pump CABG surgery and the change is specific to heart tissues. Evaluation of adenosine with a sensitive and robust analytical method has important implications on providing consistent results and meaningful insights into adenosine regulation, as well as its steady state and sustained action on the heart. Relating patient characteristics or clinical outcomes with basal adenosine concentration can be used to optimize the CABG–CPB maneuver by regulating adenosine level via pharmacological intervention, and differentiating adenosine's contribution to cardioprotection from other modulatory factors.

Structure, force balance, and evolution of incompressible cross-tail current sheet thinning

[1] THEMIS five-point observations on April 8, 2009 were used to study thinning of the current sheet in the near-Earth tail that led to the onset of a small substorm. Taking advantage of a fortuitous alignment of the five spacecraft near 2300 LT and 11 RE and within 1.5 RE of the current sheet center, latitudinal gradients are analyzed. A significant latitudinal pressure gradient is present indicating the necessity of a (J × B)z force to maintain the pre-onset equilibrium state. During thinning the total pressure remained approximately constant at all spacecraft rather than increasing. Within the plasma sheet, magnetic field strength increased while plasma pressure decreased due to decreasing temperature. We present a comprehensive explanation for the relationship between the thinning, the stretched structure, and development of intense current density. Our analysis of this event suggests that (1) the thinning in this event is an MHD force-balanced self-evolving process and is not a forced process due to an increased lobe field; (2) the thinning changes flux tube structure in length and curvature but not significantly in volume; (3) the thinning evolves with a change of the radial plasma pressure profile in the near-Earth tail, which is associated with a locally intensified current sheet. The conclusion is that the increased lobe field strength is not the necessary and the primary cause for cross tail current sheet thinning but rather thinning can occur within the plasma sheet as a result of unknown internal processes.