Accession Number:

AD0831270

Title:

RESEARCH IN HIGH TEMPERATURE PLASMA.

Descriptive Note:

Technical rept. 1 Jul-31 Dec 67,

Corporate Author:

AEROJET-GENERAL CORP SAN RAMON CA SAN RAMON RESEARCH OPERATION

Personal Author(s):

• Luce, J. S.
• Ware, A. A.

Report Date:

1968-01-01

Pagination or Media Count:

103.0

Abstract:

The fabrication of the AMC coils ended with the completion of the coils in October 1967. Final construction of the AMC machine is almost complete. In the test stand, currents up to 160 mA have been passed through a single acceleration stage following the ion source. Calculations on the ion energy spread to be obtained from the multimomentum injection give the full width at half maximum to be 140. Interpretation of the ESCON I plasma has been delayed because the secondary emission signals were found to be due in part to photons or neutral atoms emitted by metal surfaces under positive ion bombardment. A major discovery has been made in theoretical work on slowing-down reactions due to nuclear scattering collisions if the electron temperature is sufficiently high, a multiplying fusion chain reaction is possible. Exact particle orbit calculations show that, even with the low field operation of the AMC machine, all trapped particles will be adiabatic for the standard field configuration. Good progress has been made in understanding the arc starvation instability. One- and two-dimensional computer experiments have been successfully run to simulate arc starvation processes and beam behavior in an ion source. Experimentally, violent arc starvation has been induced magnetically in a simple discharge in a glass tube voltage pulses greater than 50 kV and x-ray bursts are produced. Author

Descriptors:

• *PLASMAS(PHYSICS)
• OSCILLATION
• PLASMAS(PHYSICS)
• PLASMA ACCELERATORS
• ION BEAMS
• CONTAINMENT(NUCLEAR REACTORS)
• PLASMA GENERATORS
• PINCH EFFECT
• PLASMA ENGINES
• HIGH TEMPERATURE
• SPACE PROPULSION
• POWER SUPPLIES

Subject Categories:

• Plasma Physics and Magnetohydrodynamics
• Electric and Ion Propulsion

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE