Theoretical model and experimental investigation of optically triggered hollow cathode discharge formation

In order to investigate the process of optically triggered discharge formation,a model of ion space-charge formation based on classical plane electrodes and revised for a characteristic hollow-cathode discharge(HCD)configuration is proposed in this paper.The primary modified factor in our model is the penetrating electric-field parameter,which influences the ionization of trigger electrons and is calculated via particle simulation.Optical-trigger experiments are carried out using different voltages and under different seed-electron conditions,provided by two different photocathodes,Cu and Mg.The ion-accumulation rates calculated by our model are compared to the discharge-formation time,which is deduced from optical-trigger experiments.The results demonstrate that the process of positive space-charge formation is dominant in the HCD formation process or trigger delay,which is highly dependent on the seeding-electron density and applied voltage,and can therefore be quantitatively described by our model.Additionally,electron-beam generation is investigated by optically triggered HCD experiments on Mg-and Cu-photocathode-based devices.The results show that a more efficient trigger device is capable of generating an electron beam with higher amplitude and density.     

Determination of the Trigger-Electrode Position for the Field-Distortion Spark Gap

The optimal axial position of the trigger-electrode of the field-distortion spark gap is investigated through electric field calculation.The electric fields of the gap are calculated when locating trigger-electrode at different positions.It is shown that if the distance d between the trigger electrode and the low electric potential electrode is greater than 1.3mm,the maximum field intensity occurs at the edge of the trigger-electrode ,which will facilitate the generation of multi-channel discharge.According to calculated results,the working characteristics of the gap is investigated and it shows that when d=1.4mm the field distortion gap can be triggered reliably.     

Study on the plasma generation characteristics of an induction-triggered coaxial pulsed plasma thruster

At present,spark plugs are used to trigger discharge in pulsed plasma thrusters (PPT),which are known to be life-limiting components due to plasma corrosion and carbon deposition.A strong electric field could be formed in a cathode triple junction (CTJ) to achieve a trigger function under vacuum conditions.We propose an induction-triggered electrode structure on the basis of the CTJ trigger principle.The induction-triggered electrode structure could increase the electric field strength of the CTJ without changing the voltage between electrodes,contributing to a reduction in the electrode breakdown voltage.Additionally,it can maintain the plasma generation effect when the breakdown voltage is reduced in the discharge experiments.The induction-triggered electrode structure could ensure an effective trigger when the ablation distance of Teflon increases,and the magnetic field produced by the discharge current could further improve the plasma density and propagation velocity.The induction-triggered coaxial PPT we propose has a simplified trigger structure,and it is an effective attempt to optimize the micro-satellite thruster.     

Study on a Planar Multi-Gap Multi-Channel Gas Switch

To reduce the inductance and prolong the life of the switch in linear transformer driver, diving the current into multiple discharge channels is effective. Thus, a planar multi-gap multi-channel gas switch with trigger plate was developed in this paper. The switch has five channels in parallel and is triggered by the coupling capacitance between the electrodes and the trigger plate. The results from experiments show that the switch can be triggered reliably and the framing camera images provide the evidence of multiple discharge channels. We calculated the circuit’s and switch’s inductance and observed the erosion spots of the electrodes, which indicates that multiple discharge channels indeed help to reduce the inductance and prolong the life of the switch. The factors that influence the number of discharge channels were also studied, mainly including the working voltage and crosswise resistor. These work and results can give some guiding principles and advices to design a multi-channel switch in the future.     

First Results of Pellet Injection Experiments on EAST

A new pellet injection system was installed on the EAST tokamak and preliminary experiments were performed during the 2012 run campaign. Typical phenomena associated with deuterium pellet injection into a plasma discharge have been observed including sudden increases of the electron density and H α /D α emission intensity as well as a significant decrease in plasma electron temperature. Profiles have been studied in order to understand the influence of pellet fuelling on EAST discharges. Even though the injector was specifically designed for plasma fu- elling, ELM triggering using the pellet injection has also been tested. In order to find appropriate parameters for triggering ELMs in H-mode plasmas, scanning of the pellet injection speed was employed for pellets injected from both the high field side and low field side of the plasma column. It has been observed that low-speed pellets injected into H-mode plasma from the low-field side could trigger an ELM followed by a number of smaller induced ELMs at about 300 Hz.     

Particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo simulation of filamentary barrier discharges

The plasma behavior of filamentary barrier discharges in helium is simulated using a twodimensional (2D) particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo model.Four different phases have been suggested in terms of the development of the discharge:the Townsend phase;the space-charge dominated phase;the formation of the cathode layer,and the extinguishing phase.The spatialtemporal evolution of the particle densities,velocities of the charged particles,electric fields,and surface charges has been demonstrated.Our simulation provides insights into the underlying mechanism of the discharge and explains many dynamical behaviors of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) filaments.     

Analysis on discharge process of a plasma-jet trigered gas spark switch

The plasma-jet triggered gas switch (PJTGS) could operate at a low working coefficient with a low jitter. We observed and analyzed the discharge process of the PJTGS at the lowest working coefficient of 47% with the trigger voltage of 40 kV and the pulse energy of 2 J to evaluate the effect of the plasma jet. The temporal and spatial evolution and the optical emission spectrum of the plasma jet were captured. And the spraying delay time and outlet velocity under different gas pressures were investigated. In addition, the particle in cell with Monte Carlo collision was employed to obtain the particle distribution of the plasma jet varying with time. The results show that, the plasma jet generated by spark discharge is sprayed into a spark gap within tens of nanoseconds, and its outlet velocity could reach 104ms−1. The plasma jet plays a non-penetrating inducing role in the triggered discharge process of the PJTGS. On the one hand, the plasma jet provides the initial electrons needed by the discharge; on the other hand, a large number of electrons focusing on the head of the plasma jet distort the electric field between the head of the plasma jet and the opposite electrode. Therefore, a fast discharge originated from the plasma jet is induced and quickly bridges two electrodes.     

Analysis on discharge process of a plasma-jet triggered gas spark switch

The plasma-jet triggered gas switch (PJTGS) could operate at a low working coefficient with a low jitter.We observed and analyzed the discharge process of the PJTGS at the lowest working coefficient of 47％ with the trigger voltage of 40 kV and the pulse energy of 2 J to evaluate the effect of the plasma jet.The temporal and spatial evolution and the optical emission spectrum of the plasma jet were captured.And the spraying delay time and outlet velocity under different gas pressures were investigated.In addition,the particle in cell with Monte Carlo collision was employed to obtain the particle distribution of the plasma jet varying with time.The results show that,the plasma jet generated by spark discharge is sprayed into a spark gap within tens of nanoseconds,and its outlet velocity could reach 104 ms-1.The plasma jet plays a non-penetrating inducing role in the triggered discharge process of the PJTGS.On the one hand,the plasma jet provides the initial electrons needed by the discharge;on the other hand,a large number of electrons focusing on the head of the plasma jet distort the electric field between the head of the plasma jet and the opposite electrode.Therefore,a fast discharge originated from the plasma jet is induced and quickly bridges two electrodes.     

Microwaves Scattering by Underdense Inhomogeneous Plasma Column

The scattering characteristics of microwaves(MWs) by an underdense inhomogeneous plasma column have been investigated.The plasma column is generated by hollow cathode discharge(HCD) in a glass tube filled with low pressure argon.The plasma density in the column can be varied by adjusting the discharge current.The scattering power of X-band MWs by the column is measured at different discharge currents and receiving angles.The results show that the column can affect the properties of scattering wave significantly regardless of its plasma frequency much lower than the incident wave frequency.The power peak of the scattering wave shifts away from 0°to about ±15odirection.The finite-different time-domain(FDTD) method is employed to analyze the wave scattering by plasma column with different electron density distributions.The reflected MW power from a metal plate located behind the column is also measured to investigate the scattering effect on reducing MW reflectivity of a metal target.This study is expected to deepen the understanding of plasma-electromagnetic wave interaction and expand the applications concerning plasma antenna and plasma stealth.     

Investigation of the self-induced magneticfield characteristics in a pulsed plasma thruster with flared electrodes

The self-induced magnetic field in a pulsed plasma thruster(PPT)with flared electrodes is investigated for a better understanding of the working process and the structural design of the thruster.A two-dimensional model of the magnetic field is built and is validated by comparing the simulated results with the experimental results in literature.The magnetic flux density in the discharge channel during the working process is presented and analyzed regarding the electrode structures.The calculated magnetic field flux density decreases from 0.8 T at the upstream to 0.1 T and below at the downstream in the discharge channel(68 J).The peak of the magnetic flux density over time lags behind the current peak,which provides evidence for the existence of a moving plasma sheet in the discharge process.The magnetic field induced by the current in the extra bending part of the anode enhances the Lorentz force,which acts on the charged particles near the propellant.Finally,the geometric study indicates that the electromagnetic impulse bit does not monotonically increase with the flared angle of the electrodes.Instead,it reaches a maximum at a certain flared angle,which could provide significant suggestions for structural optimization.     

Various concentric-ring patterns formed in a water-anode glow discharge operated at atmospheric pressure

Pattern formation is a very interesting phenomenon formed above a water anode in atmospheric pressure glow discharge. Up to now, concentric-ring patterns only less than four rings have been observed in experiments. In this work, atmospheric pressure glow discharge above a water anode is conducted to produce diversified concentric-ring patterns. Results indicate that as time elapses, the number of concentric rings increases continuously and up to five rings have been found in the concentric-ring patterns. Moreover, the ring number increases continuously with increasing discharge current. The electrical conductivity of the anode plays an important role in the transition of the concentric patterns due to its positive relation with ionic strength. Hence, the electrical conductivity of the water anode is investigated as a function of time and discharge current. From optical emission spectrum, gas temperature and intensity ratio related with density and temperature of electron have been calculated. The various concentric-ring patterns mentioned above have been simulated at last with an autocatalytic reaction model.     

单光电子谱测试中触发方式对比研究

光电倍增管(PMT)单光电子谱测试中触发方式的对比研究对PMT性能刻度具有很强的指导意义。通过搭建自触发、同步触发、异步触发三套测试系统,对比研究不同触发方式对PMT性能刻度的影响。实验结果表明:自触发只可用于初步性能刻度;而异步触发在信号触发频率小于触发门采样频率时,得到多光电子谱,刻度结果远偏离实际值;同步触发方式能更可靠地刻度出更多更精确的PMT参数,是PMT性能刻度的最佳触发方式。     

PIC simulation of plasma properties in the discharge channel of a pulsed plasma thruster with flared electrodes

Plasma in the discharge channel of a pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) with flared electrodes is simulated by a self-developed two-dimensional code. The fully particle-in-cell method with Monte Carlo collision is employed to model the particle movement and collisions and investigate the plasma properties and acceleration process. Temporal and spatial variations of the electron density distribution and the ion velocity between electrodes are calculated and analyzed in detail. The computational results of the electron number density, which is in the order of 10²³ m⁻³, show good agreements with experimental results of a PPT named ADD SIMP-LEX. The ion velocity distributions along the center line of the channel lead to a comprehensive understanding of ions accelerated by electromagnetic field. The electron distributions of PPT with discharge voltages varying from 1300 to 2000 V are compared. The diffusion of electrons presents strong dependency on discharge voltage and implies higher degree of ionization for higher voltage.     

Lifetime in Neutron Irradiated Silicon - Application to Devices

Detailed measurements on special gated Si p+n diodes yield the damage parameters associated with the three basic current components in p-n junctions. Recombination in the neutral bulk, recombination and generation in the space-charge region, and recombination and generation at the surface are characterized over a wide range of neutron doses and injection levels. For recombination in the neutral bulk, the lifetime damage constant is about 3 x 105 n-sec/cm2 at high injection levels and varies with dose between 103 and 104 n-sec/cm2 for low injection levels. The damage constant for the space-charge region recombination lifetime is about 5 x 105 n-sec/cm2 for forward biases in the range of 0.1 to 0.3 V and the damage constant for the generation lifetime in the space-charge region is 5 x 107 n-sec/cm2 both nearly independent of dose. The surface generation and recombination velocities are process dependent and are not a linear function of the dose. The surface generation velocity increases from about 10 cm/sec at 2 x 1011 n/cm2 to saturate at about 100 cm/sec at 1014 n/cm2 in the diodes studied here. Using these data, the grounded emitter current gain (hFE) for a Si pnp transistor (2N4872) is predicted as a function of dose and current density. Both the dose and the current density dependence of hFE, as predicted by our V-I characteristics and deduced lifetimes, are in reasonable agreement with the published specifications.     

Diagnostic of capacitively coupled radio frequency plasma from electrical discharge characteristics: comparison with optical emission spectroscopy and fluid model simulation

The capacitively coupled radio frequency(CCRF)plasma has been widely used in various fields.In some cases,it requires us to estimate the range of key plasma parameters simpler and quicker in order to understand the behavior in plasma.In this paper,a glass vacuum chamber and a pair of plate electrodes were designed and fabricated,using 13.56 MHz radio frequency(RF)discharge technology to ionize the working gas of Ar.This discharge was mathematically described with equivalent circuit model.The discharge voltage and current of the plasma were measured atdifferent pressures and different powers.Based on the capacitively coupled homogeneous discharge model,the equivalent circuit and the analytical formula were established.The plasma density and temperature were calculated by using the equivalent impedance principle and energy balance equation.The experimental results show that when RF discharge power is 50–300 W and pressure is 25–250 Pa,the average electron temperature is about 1.7–2.1 e V and the average electron density is about 0.5?×?10~(17)–3.6?×?10~(17)m~(-3).Agreement was found when the results were compared to those given by optical emission spectroscopy and COMSOL simulation.     

气体开关触发间隙与过压间隙击穿特性研究

为研究快脉冲直线变压器驱动源（FLTD）多间隙气体开关的触发击穿特性,针对一种环形电极两间隙等效实验开关,开展不同触发电压、工作系数和电极材料下的击穿特性实验,对比两个间隙的击穿延时和抖动,分析间隙击穿特性的主要影响因素和作用机制。实验结果表明：触发间隙击穿延时主要受触发电压影响,而工作系数是过压间隙击穿延时的主要影响因素;开关抖动主要来自于触发间隙,触发间隙抖动随触发电压的增大明显减小,过压间隙抖动基本不随触发电压和工作系数变化且维持在较低值;石墨电极开关的击穿延时和抖动明显小于不锈钢、黄铜和钨铜电极开关,具有良好的触发击穿性能。通过分析指出,是否有预电离可能是两个间隙击穿特性差异的主要原因。     

An equivalent model of discharge instability in the discharge chamber of Kaufman ion thruster

The industrial application of the Kaufman ion thruster in its arc stage is limited owing to the instability of the discharge pulse. Presently, a complete prediction model that can predict the discharge pulse in the high-current stage does not exist. In this study, a complete prediction model for the pulse in the ion thruster is established using the zero-dimensional plasma discharge model and equivalent circuit model. The zero-dimensional plasma discharge model is used to obtain the corresponding plasma parameters by calculating the beam current, discharge current, voltage, and gas flow under actual working conditions. The input parameters of the equivalent circuit model are calculated using empirical formulae to acquire the estimated discharge waveforms. The pulse waveforms obtained using the model are found to be consistent with the experimental results. The model is used to evaluate the process of rapid changes in plasma density. Additionally, this model is employed to predict changes in the pulse waveforms when the volume of the discharge chamber and grid plate transmittance are changed.     

Experimental study of a low-pressure hybrid RF discharge

Experimental study of the low-pressure hybrid RF discharge with both inductive and capacitive channels was carried out. The RF power unit consists of inductor(antenna) and capacitor plates connected in parallel to the same RF power source. A separating capacitor Csepis included into the circuit between the antenna ends and the lead connected to the discharge capacitor plate in order to prevent the closing of the capacitive circuit through direct current by inductor and to control the contribution of capacitive channel to discharge sustaining. It is shown that at low power of the RF power source, power coupling to the discharge mainly occurs through the capacitive channel. Increasing the power of the RF power source increases the power coupled in the inductive channel, electron density, and current flowing through the capacitive channel. This leads to increasing voltage drop on the separating capacitor and partial cutoff of the capacitive channel. At separating capacitance values below certain value(below 50 pF in the present experiments), the self-bias of the loaded plate of the discharge capacitor becomes positive indicating that the thickness of the electrode sheath of the loaded electrode decreases compared to thickness of the sheath of the grounded electrode. The thickness of the space-charge sheath of the grounded electrode decreases with increasing power coupled to the plasma. At separating capacitance below 50 pF, higher harmonics of the RF voltage and current are actively generated in the capacitive discharge channel. Increasing the separating capacitance leads to decreasing electron density, increasing effective electron temperature and more effective RF energy coupling to plasma due to increasing relative importance of the capacitive discharge channel.     

Effects of Oxygen Concentration on Pulsed Dielectric Barrier Discharge in Helium-Oxygen Mixture at Atmospheric Pressure

In this work the effects of O_2 concentration on the pulsed dielectric barrier discharge in helium-oxygen mixture at atmospheric pressure have been numerically researched by using a one-dimensional fluid model in conjunction with the chosen key species and chemical reactions.The reliability of the used model has been examined by comparing the calculated discharge current with the reported experiments. The present work presents the following significant results. The dominative positive and negative particles are He_2~+ and O_2~-, respectively, the densities of the reactive oxygen species(ROS) get their maxima nearly at the central position of the gap, and the density of the ground state O is highest in the ROS. The increase of O_2 concentration results in increasingly weak discharge and the time lag of the ignition. For O_2 concentrations below 1.1%,the density of O is much higher than other species, the averaged dissipated power density presents an evident increase for small O_2 concentration and then the increase becomes weak. In particular,the total density of the reactive oxygen species reaches its maximums at the O_2 concentration of about 0.5%. This characteristic further convinces the experimental observation that the O_2 concentration of 0.5% is an optimal O_2/He ratio in the inactivation of bacteria and biomolecules when radiated by using the plasmas produced in a helium oxygen mixture.     

Comparative study on breakdown characteristics of trigger gap and overvoltage gap in a gas pressurized closing switch

Gas pressurized closing switches are one of the most important elements in FLTD-based systems. Improving the trigger performance of gas switches is useful for optimizing the output parameters and the reliability of the FLTD. In this paper, the breakdown characteristics of the trigger gap and the overvoltage gap are studied experimentally. The reasons for the different breakdown performance of the two gaps are also investigated. The results show that the breakdown delay of the trigger gap is more influenced by the trigger voltage, while the breakdown delay of the overvoltage gap is more influenced by the working coefficient and always higher than that of the trigger gap. The jitter of the trigger gap is more influenced by the trigger voltage and accounts more than 60% of the total switch jitter, while the jitter of the overvoltage gap is hardly changed with the trigger voltage as well as the working coefficient and maintains less than 1.4 ns. It is proved that the discharging product from the trigger gap can effectively reduce the breakdown delay and jitter of the overvoltage gap. Based on that, the effect and improvement of pre-ionization on the two gaps are also studied. It is concluded that the jitter of the trigger gap reduces obviously when the pre-ionization is added, while the pre-ionization almost has no effect on the jitter of the overvoltage gap. The jitter of the overvoltage gap is about two times higher than the trigger gap in the pre-ionizing switch.