A new model for the floating potential of fine particles in plasma

In the plasma processing of ultrafine particles of material, the heat transfer and force are considerably affected by particle charging. In this communication a new model, including thermal electron emission and incorporating the effect of electric field near the particle surface, is developed for metallic spherical particles under the condition of a thin plasma sheath. Based on this model, the particle floating potential, and thus the heat transfer and force, can be detemined more accurately and more realistically than previously.

Fusion energy-production from a deuterium-tritium plasma in the jet tokamak

Describes a series of experiments in the Joint European Torus (JET), culminating in the first tokamak discharges in deuterium-tritium fuelled mixture. The experiments were undertaken within limits imposed by restrictions on vessel activation and tritium usage. The objectives were: (i) to produce more than one megawatt of fusion power in a controlled way; (ii) to validate transport codes and provide a basis for accurately predicting the performance of deuterium-tritium plasmas from measurements made in deuterium plasmas; (iii) to determine tritium retention in the torus systems and to establish the effectiveness of discharge cleaning techniques for tritium removal; (iv) to demonstrate the technology related to tritium usage; and (v) to establish safe procedures for handling tritium in compliance with the regulatory requirements. A single-null X-point magnetic configuration, diverted onto the upper carbon target, with reversed toroidal magnetic field was chosen. Deuterium plasmas were heated by high power, long duration deuterium neutral beams from fourteen sources and fuelled also by up to two neutral beam sources injecting tritium. The results from three of these high performance hot ion H-mode discharges are described: a high performance pure deuterium discharge; a deuterium-tritium discharge with a 1% mixture of tritium fed to one neutral beam source; and a deuterium-tritium discharge with 100% tritium fed to two neutral beam sources. The TRANSP code was used to check the internal consistency of the measured data and to determine the origin of the measured neutron fluxes. In the best deuterium-tritium discharge, the tritium concentration was about 11% at the time of peak performance, when the total neutron emission rate was 6.0 × 10¹⁷ neutrons/s. The integrated total neutron yield over the high power phase, which lasted about 2 s, was 7.2 × 10¹⁷ neutrons, with an accuracy of ±7%. The actual fusion amplification factor, Q_DT was about 0.15

Magnetohydrodynamics equilibrium of a self-confined elliptic plasma ball

A variational principle is applied to the problem of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) equilibrium of a self-contained elliptical plasma ball, such as elliptical ball lightning. The principle is appropriate for an approximate solution of partial differential equations with arbitrary boundary shape. The method reduces the partial differential equation to a series of ordinary differential equations and is especially valuable for treating boundaries with nonlinear deformations. The calculations conclude that the pressure distribution and the poloidal current are more uniform in an oblate self-confined plasma ball than that of an elongated plasma ball. The ellipticity of the plasma ball is obviously restricted by its internal pressure, magnetic field, and ambient pressure. Qualitative evidence is presented for the absence of sighting of elongated ball lightning.

The induction plasma chemical reactor: Part I. Equilibrium model

A mathematical model is presented for the numerical simulation of the flow, temperature, and concentration fields in an rf plasma chemical reactor. The simulation is performed assuming chemical equilibrium. The extent of validity of this assumption is discussed. The system considered is the reaction of SiCl4 and NH3 for the production of Si3N4.

The induction plasma chemical reactor: Part II. Kinetic model

A kinetic model has been developed for the prediction of the concentration gelds in an rf plasma reactor. A sample calculation for a SiCl4/H2 system is then performed. The model considers the mixing processes along with the kinetics of seven reactions involving the decomposition of these reactants. The results obtained are compared to those assuming chemical equilibrium. The predictions indicate that an equilibrium assumption will result in lower predicted temperature fields in the reactor. Furthermore, for the chemical system considered here, while differences exist between the concentration fields obtained by the two models, the differences are not substantial.

Magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium of plasma ball lightning

Thin foil observations using transmission electron microscopy reveal that the density of dislocations within the band is extremely high and the tangled arrangement of dislocations tends to align along the length of the shear band. The grains in the band were also elongated along the shear band and clearly exhibited a crystallographic nature.

Adiabatic compression of plasma with purely toroidal rotation

A variational method is developed to find approximate solutions to the generalized Grad-Shafranov equations for an adiabatic compression of the plasma with toroidal rotation, via the expansion in Fourier series in poloidal angle of the flux surface coordinates. The numerical results, which are carried out by the present method and by the usual two-dimensional method for a static equilibrium state, agree well.

Variational method for adiabatic compression of plasma with poloidal and toroidal rotation

A variational method is developed for adiabatic compression of plasma with both poloidal and toroidal rotation.

T.E. wave in inhomogeneous magnetized plasma-filled cylindrical waveguide

The T. E. wave in cylindrical wavegulde filled with inhomogeneous plasma immersed in the external uniform longitudinal magnetic field is investigated. The analytic solution expressed in polynomial formed by cutting the confluent hypergeometric function is obtained. Furthermore the eigenfrequency of T. E. wave is obtained.

The wave model of mesothermal plasma near wakes and Korteweg-de Vries equation

The stationary two-dimensional (x, z) near wakes behind a flat-based projectile which moves at a constant mesothermal speed (V∞) along a z-axis in a rarefied, fully ionized, plasma is studied using the wave model previously proposed by one of the authors (VCL). One-fluid theory is used to depict the free expansion of ambient plasma into the vacuum produced behind a fast-moving projectile. This nonstationary, one-dimensional (x, t) flow which is approximated by the K-dV equation can be transformed, through substitution, t=z/V∞, into a stationary two-dimensional (x, z) near wake flow seen by an observer moving with the body velocity (V∞). The initial value problem of the K-dV equation in (x, t) variables is solved by a specially devised numerical method. Comparisons of the present numerical solution for the asymptotically small and large times with available analytical solutions are made and found in satisfactory agreements.

The Propagation Characteristics of Microwave in a Non-Equilibrium Plasma Layer

The influence of non-equilibrium plasma layer pressure and thickness on the transmission of microwave is considered when the incidence of wave is at an arbitrary angle. The plasma is cold, weakly ionized, and steady-state. It is assumed that it is a layered media with a kind of distribution of electron number density and the microwave is a plane wave. The results show that the pressure of plasma affects the absorption of microwave deeply, and the thickness relatively weakly in a non-equilibrium plasma slab.