This paper presents a short review of plasma-optical mass-separation and defines the fields for its possible application. During theoretical studies, numerical simulations, and experiments, the effect of the azimuthator finite size and of the vacuum conditions on the mass separator characteristics was revealed, as well as the quality of different-mass ion separation. The problems, solving which may lead to a successful end of the mass-separation plasma-optical technique implementation, were specified. V C 2014 AIP Publishing LLC. [http://dx.
New features and peculiarities of anomalous self-sustained Hall E × B discharge have been discovered. The presence of a minimum density of ions n upon the magnetic field induction B is confirmed for a wide range of discharge parameters. Likewise, the operation mode for a maximum density at the optimal values of the radial and longitudinal components of magnetic induction was discovered. Both effects are accompanied by the changes in the position of the combustion zone E × B of the discharge in the anode-cathode interval and the transformation of the distribution function of the ion energy. The threshold nature of the processes in the plasma E × B of the discharge can be manifested on the curves n = f(B) as an abrupt 3 to 4 times decrease in density upon the increase in B by not more than 10%. An abrupt increase in the density of ions (up to 16 times), occurring with a slight increase in the density of neutrals (∼1.2 times), is recorded when there are jumps of the anode layer from the anode region to the cathode one and vice versa. A thin structure of ion energy spectra explained by the isomagnetic potential jumps, which generate ion density jumps in a narrow energy range, was found. In the search for the reasons for the restructuring of the discharge and generation of isomagnetic jumps, the possible effect of nonlocal gradient-drift and electron-cyclotron drift instabilities on electron mobility and ion acceleration is briefly discussed.
Results of designing the hardware-software complex ensuring automatic recording, cleaning, and approximation of signals of the energy analyzer with a retarding potential protecting from breakdowns (electron current) and voltage spikes that cannot be attributed to the studied physical process, are presented. The complex is successfully applied for corpuscular diagnostics in experiments on plasma-optical mass separation. INTRODUCTIONThe primary characteristic of particles in plasma is the ion (electron) energy distribution function, which is measured using energy analyzers of charged particles. Among them multigrid energy analyzers with the retarding potential (RFA) stand out as universal wideaperture devices with a high light-gathering power and small sizes, which are placed directly in plasma at a point where its parameters are measured.The signal from the RFA collector-retarding curve I i = φ(E i )-is differentiated for obtaining energy ion spectra: f(E) = -dI i /dU, where I i is the ion current to the collector of the RFA; E i is the ion energy; and U is the potential of the retarding grid of the RFA, which varies from the maximal value being equivalent to the maximum ion energy, to zero. The noise ("noise" of plasma, local breakdowns, and magnetic pickups) are imposed on the delay curve when operating with plasmas and plasma accelerators.Development of a universal plasma-optical mass separator [1, 2], which can be used, e.g., for dividing spent nuclear fuel into three fractions, requires that many preliminary experiments on determination of paths of separated ions should be performed. In this case, the ions have a wide energy spectrum and large angular spread, requiring applications of energy analyzers movable in the ion flux propagation space, which, in addition, should have an automatic signal recording and preprocessing system. For our purposes, the most acceptable are RFAs, for which, however, the data handling process is the most labor-consuming as compared to analyzers of
This paper presents separation results of a mixture of nitrogen, argon and krypton ions in the process of plasma-optical mass separation on the POMS-E-3 separator model. We determined the behavior of the separation with a change in the value of magnetic field induction in the azimuthator and in the degree of compensation of the spatial charge in ion flows. An analysis is performed for experimental data by correlation with the results of a theoretical study and numerical experiments. The objectives of future experiments are outlined.
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