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Full-Text Articles in Physics

“Ultra Cold” Room Temperature Plasma, Stephen Rupper, Dr. Scott Bergeson Apr 2015

“Ultra Cold” Room Temperature Plasma, Stephen Rupper, Dr. Scott Bergeson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Many scientists throughout the world are currently doing research on ultra cold neutral plasmas (UCNP). These plasmas are difficult to make and require quite a sophisticated setup. A method that we employ in our lab requires multiple laser pulses to be timed perfectly and aligned precisely in order to ionize the atoms. It also requires the use of a magneto optical trap, which traps the atoms before they are ionized. This setup is very time consuming to build and maintain but we have a mathematical model for it. Since the current methods of creating ultra cold plasmas are hard to …


Using Higher Ionization States To Increase Coulomb Coupling In An Ultracold Neutral Plasma, M. Lyon, Scott D. Bergeson, A. Diaw, M. S. Murillo Jan 2015

Using Higher Ionization States To Increase Coulomb Coupling In An Ultracold Neutral Plasma, M. Lyon, Scott D. Bergeson, A. Diaw, M. S. Murillo

Faculty Publications

We report measurements and simulations of the time-evolving rms velocity distribution in an ultracold neutral plasma. A strongly coupled ultracold neutral Ca+ plasma is generated by photoionizing laser-cooled atoms close to threshold. A fraction of these ions is then promoted to the second ionization state to form a mixed Ca+-Ca2+ plasma. By varying the time delay between the first and the second ionization events, a minimum in ion heating is achieved. We show that the Coulomb strong-coupling parameter Γ increases by a factor of 1.4 to a maximum value of 3.6. A pure Ca2+ plasma …


Development Of A Mevva Based Beryllium-7 Plasma Source, David K. Olson Jul 2007

Development Of A Mevva Based Beryllium-7 Plasma Source, David K. Olson

Theses and Dissertations

We have designed a new type of plasma gun ion source for a Malmberg-Penning trap based on Metal Vapor Vacuum Arc (MeVVA) ion source designs. Our primary intent with this MeVVA-type source is to create a confinable beryllium-7 (7-Be) plasma. 7-Be is a peculiar isotope due to its varying radioactive decay half-life in different electro-chemical configurations. It is also found in an unexpected abundance at high altitudes of the Earth's atmosphere. It is possible ioniziation affects the radioactivity of the isotope, partly explaining this discrepancy with atmospheric models. The short half-life of 7-Be requires us to replace the sample inside …


Ultracold Neutral Plasma Expansion In Two Dimensions, E. A. Cummings, J. E. Daily, Dallin S. Durfee, Scott D. Bergeson Dec 2005

Ultracold Neutral Plasma Expansion In Two Dimensions, E. A. Cummings, J. E. Daily, Dallin S. Durfee, Scott D. Bergeson

Faculty Publications

An isothermal model of ultracold neutral plasma expansion is extended to systems without spherical symmetry. It is used to interpret new fluorescence measurements on ultracold neutral calcium plasmas. For a self-similar expansion, the fluid equations are solved both analytically and numerically. The density and velocity solutions are used to predict fluorescence signals induced by a laser beam weakly focused into the plasma. Despite the simplicity of the model, predicted fluorescence signals reproduce major features of the experimental data


Erratum: Computing The M = 1 Diocotron Frequency Via An Equilibrium Calculation In Non-Neutral Plasmas, Ross L. Spencer May 2005

Erratum: Computing The M = 1 Diocotron Frequency Via An Equilibrium Calculation In Non-Neutral Plasmas, Ross L. Spencer

Faculty Publications

Equation 14 in this paper contains errors.


Vibrational Modes Of Thin Oblate Clouds Of Charge, Thomas G. Jenkins, Ross L. Spencer Jul 2002

Vibrational Modes Of Thin Oblate Clouds Of Charge, Thomas G. Jenkins, Ross L. Spencer

Faculty Publications

A numerical method is presented for finding the eigenfunctions (normal modes) and mode frequencies of azimuthally symmetric non-neutral plasmas confined in a Penning trap whose axial thickness is much smaller than their radial size. The plasma may be approximated as a charged disk in this limit; the normal modes and frequencies can be found if the surface charge density profile sigma(r) of the disk and the trap bounce frequency profile wz(r) are known. The dependence of the eigenfunctions and equilibrium plasma shapes on nonideal components of the confining Penning trap fields is discussed. The results of the calculation are compared …


Creation Of An Ultracold Neutral Plasma, Scott D. Bergeson, T. C. Killian, S. Kulin, L. A. Orozco, C. Orzel, S. L. Rolston Dec 1999

Creation Of An Ultracold Neutral Plasma, Scott D. Bergeson, T. C. Killian, S. Kulin, L. A. Orozco, C. Orzel, S. L. Rolston

Faculty Publications

We report the creation of an ultracold neutral plasma by photoionization of laser-cooled xenon atoms. The charge carrier density is as high as 2×10^9 cm^-3, and the temperatures of electrons and ions are as low as 100 mK and 10 uK, respectively. Plasma behavior is evident in the trapping of electrons by the positive ion cloud when the Debye screening length becomes smaller than the size of the sample. We produce plasmas with parameters such that both electrons and ions are strongly coupled.


Damped Diocotron Quasi-Modes Of Non-Neutral Plasmas And Inviscid Fluids, S. Neil Rasband, Ross L. Spencer Jan 1997

Damped Diocotron Quasi-Modes Of Non-Neutral Plasmas And Inviscid Fluids, S. Neil Rasband, Ross L. Spencer

Faculty Publications

Computations of damped diocotron oscillations (quasi-modes) are described for non-neutral plasmas and inviscid fluids. The numerical method implements a suggestion made by Briggs, Daugherty, and Levy some 25 years ago [Phys. Fluids 13, 421 (1970)] to push the branch line that forms the continuum into the complex w-plane by solving the mode equation in the complex r-plane. For the special case of power-law density profiles the calculation finds the same quasi-mode frequencies found recently by Corngold [Phys. Plasmas 2, 620 (1995)]. It is found that the feature of the continuum eigenfunctions which indicates the presence of a nearby quasi-mode is …