ENERGY CONVERSION PLASMA RESEARCH.

An experimental apparatus was built consisting of power supply and discharge tube, which is capable of generating a powerful gas discharge on a pulsed basis. Short duration, high voltage pulses are applied to external electrodes. The resulting strong electric field gradient causes the gas hydrogen under low pressure inside the tube to become ionized and thus forming a plasma. This type of plasma is characterized by a high degree of ionization, rather high electron temperature and low ion temperature nonequilibrium plasma and is known as quasi-steady high frequency discharge. The main part of the electric power input is converted into plasma radiation disregarding small losses due to ohmic heating. Observed x-ray radiation as well as microwave oscillations and light emission are a function of the plasma characteristics such as electron temperature and density. Author