Experimental measurements of cross-field transport of test ions in a quiet plasma are reported. In a plasma with density fluctuations below 〈(δn/n0)2〉1/2≊0.002, the experimental results agree with simple predictions of test ion diffusion resulting from collisional processes for the range of parameters tested. The observed transport may be attributed to Coulomb collisions and the results disagree with predictions based solely on Bohm diffusion or turbulent processes.

Direct measurements of integrated phase-space densities, e.g., f(x,vy,t), have been made in an experiment. Using spectroscopically active ions, measurements in a plasma show the ion response, fi(x,v,t), to linear and nonlinear waves and phase-space particle bunching. Time-resolved measurements show coherent and incoherent phase-space density changes in the presence of waves, indicating that transitions to turbulence and chaos may be studied. The time, space, and velocity-space resolution may allow experimental tests of predictions from the Boltzmann equation. © 1986 The American Physical Society.

The direct measurement of the velocity space transport of ions in a plasma is reported. Measured diffusion and convection coefficients are compared to the calculated Fokker-Planck coefficients for a fully ionized plasma. The measurements were made in a Q-machine barium plasma (Ti= T e = 0.17 eV, 5 × 108 ≤n≤ 8 × 10 9 cm-3) with both high and low fluctuation levels. At low fluctuation levels the measured coefficients agree with classical collision theory. Coefficients measured in the presence of large amplitude fluctuations generally are larger and have different velocity dependences. Test particle distributions are created and interrogated using the technique of optical tagging. The short-time (≪90° collision time) relaxation of the test particle distribution function was measured as a function of density and temperature of the background plasma and as a function of the velocity of the test particle distribution. The values of the convection and diffusion coefficients were extracted from these measurements. Longer time relaxations (∼90° time) also were measured. © 1994 American Institute of Physics.

Two-dimensional ion velocity distribution functions (IVDFs) of argon plasmas have been measured with optical tomography via laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). An inductive radio-frequency (RF) coil created the plasmas, and IVDFs were measured versus RF frequency, gas pressure and location (bulk plasma or presheath of a plate). Typical gas pressure was 0.3-0.4 mTorr, RF power 25 W and magnetic field 130 G. Effective perpendicular ion temperature decreased with increasing RF frequency, and changed little with pressure. Optical tomography reveals features of the presheath IVDF that cannot be deduced from LIF scans parallel and perpendicular to the plate alone. Progress also has been made toward performing optical tomography on a commercial ion beam source (Veeco/Ion Tech 3 cm RF Ion Source, Model #201). In particular, it has been discovered that the beam energy fluctuates in a range of about 20 eV over the timescale of a few minutes. © 2005 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Plasma flow velocity was measured by Mach probe (MP) and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) methods in unmagnetized plasmas with supersonic ion beams. Since the ion gyro-radius was much larger than the probe radius, unmagnetized Mach probe theory was used to determine plasma flow in argon RF plasma with a weak magnetic field (<200 G). In order to determine flow velocities, the Mach probe is calibrated via LIF in the absence of the ion beam, where existing probe theories may be valid although they use different geometries (sphere and plane) and analyzing tools [particle-in-cell (PIC) and kinetic models]. For the comparison of the average plasma flow velocities by MP and LIF, the supersonic ion beam velocity was measured by LIF and then incorporated into a simple formula for average plasma velocity with provisions for background plasma density and beam-corrected electron temperature (Te) measured by a triple probe. © 2006 The Japan Society of Applied Physics.

A CsI salt-based cathode which is capable of producing a modest perveance, 10 s of A/cm2 electron beam for several microseconds pulse lengths, and has little susceptibility to diode closure has been experimentally characterized. This explosive field-emission CsI-coated carbon fiber cathode has operated in modest 10-5 Torr vacuums at voltages up to 160 kV, and can easily be configured to provide space-charge-limited solid or annular electron beams in arbitrarily large diameter configurations. The CsI cathode has demonstrated negligible closure for 2 μs pulses, and has operated for 200 shots with no degradation in cathode performance. Data on the operating performance of this salt cathode, including effective gap time history and streak photographs demonstrating uniformity of the current density, are presented. A comparison of CsI cathode performance with a velvet explosive field emitting cathode used in electron-beam production is also presented. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.