Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Plasma and Beam Physics Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year

Articles 31 - 56 of 56

Full-Text Articles in Plasma and Beam Physics

Finite Element Analysis Of Ring-Shaped Emission Profile In Plasma Bullet, Yukinori Sakiyama, David B. Graves, Julien Jarrige, Mounir Laroussi Jan 2010

Finite Element Analysis Of Ring-Shaped Emission Profile In Plasma Bullet, Yukinori Sakiyama, David B. Graves, Julien Jarrige, Mounir Laroussi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Using a one-way coupled model of neutral gas flow and plasma dynamics we report a mechanism to explain the ring-shaped emission pattern that has been observed experimentally in plasma bullets at atmospheric pressure. We solve a fluid model with the local field approximation in one-dimensional cylindrical coordinates, corresponding to a cross-section of a plasma bullet. Pulselike uniform electric field is assumed to be applied perpendicular to the simulation domain. Time and spatially resolved spectroscopic measurements support the simulation results.

Go to article

Experimental Studies On The Plasma Bullet Propagation And Its Inhibition, Erdinc Karakas, Mounir Laroussi Jan 2010

Experimental Studies On The Plasma Bullet Propagation And Its Inhibition, Erdinc Karakas, Mounir Laroussi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Plasma bullets generated by atmospheric pressure low temperature plasma jets have recently been an active research topic due to their unique properties and their enhanced plasma chemistry. In this paper, experimental insights into the plasma bullet lifetime and its velocity are reported. Data obtained from intensified charge-coupled device camera and time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy (OES) elucidated the existence of a weakly ionized channel between the plasma bullet and its source (such as the plasma pencil). Factors responsible for the inhibition of the propagation of the bullet, such as low helium mole fraction, the magnitude of the applied voltage, and the …

Go to article

Coupled Ray-Tracing And Fokker-Planck Ebw Modeling For Spherical Tokamaks, Jakub Urban, Joan Decker, Y. Peysson, Josef Preinhaelter, Gary Taylor, Linda L. Vahala, George Vahala Nov 2009

Coupled Ray-Tracing And Fokker-Planck Ebw Modeling For Spherical Tokamaks, Jakub Urban, Joan Decker, Y. Peysson, Josef Preinhaelter, Gary Taylor, Linda L. Vahala, George Vahala

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The AMR (Antenna—Mode-conversion—Ray-tracing) code [1, 2] has been recently coupled with the LUKE [3] Fokker-Planck code. This modeling suite is capable of complex simulations of electron Bernstein wave (EBW) emission, heating and current drive. We employ these codes to study EBW heating and current drive performance under spherical tokamak (ST) configurations—typical NSTX discharges are employed. EBW parameters, such as frequency, antenna position and direction, are varied and optimized for particular configurations and objectives. In this way, we show the versatility of EBWs.

Go to article

Electron Density And Temperature Measurement Of An Atmospheric Pressure Plasma By Millimeter Wave Interferometer, Xinpei Lu, Mounir Laroussi Jan 2008

Electron Density And Temperature Measurement Of An Atmospheric Pressure Plasma By Millimeter Wave Interferometer, Xinpei Lu, Mounir Laroussi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

In this paper, a 105 GHz millimeter wave interferometer system is used to measure the electron density and temperature of an atmospheric pressure helium plasma driven by submicrosecond pulses. The peak electron density and electron-neutral collision frequency reach 8 X 1012 cm-3 and 2.1 X 1012 s-1, respectively. According to the electron-helium collision cross section and the measured electron-neutral collision frequency, the electron temperature of the plasma is estimated to reach a peak value of about 8.7 eV.

Go to article

Plasma Medicine, Mounir Laroussi, Alexander Fridman Jan 2008

Plasma Medicine, Mounir Laroussi, Alexander Fridman

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Recent demonstrations of plasma technology in the treatment of living cells, tissues, and organs are creating a newfield at the intersection of plasma science and technology with biology and medicine - Plasma Medicine.

Go to article

Dynamics Of An Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Plume Generated By Submicrosecond Voltage Pulses, Xinpei Lu, Mounir Laroussi Jan 2006

Dynamics Of An Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Plume Generated By Submicrosecond Voltage Pulses, Xinpei Lu, Mounir Laroussi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Nonequilibrium plasmas driven by submicrosecond high voltage pulses have been proven to produce high-energy electrons, which in turn lead to enhanced ionization and excitations. Here, we describe a device capable of launching a cold plasma plume in the surrounding air. This device, "the plasma pencil," is driven by few hundred nanosecond wide pulses at repetition rates of a few kilohertz. Correlation between current-voltage characteristics and fast photography shows that the plasma plume is in fact a small bulletlike volume of plasma traveling at unusually high velocities. A model based on photoionization is used to explain the propagation kinetics of the …

Go to article

Electron Bernstein Wave Simulations And Comparison To Preliminary Nstx Emission Data, Josef Preinhaelter, Jakub Urban, Pavol Pavlo, Gary Taylor, Steffi Diem, Linda L. Vahala, George Vahala Jan 2006

Electron Bernstein Wave Simulations And Comparison To Preliminary Nstx Emission Data, Josef Preinhaelter, Jakub Urban, Pavol Pavlo, Gary Taylor, Steffi Diem, Linda L. Vahala, George Vahala

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Simulations indicate that during flattop current discharges the optimal angles for the aiming of the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) antennae are quite rugged and basically independent of time. The time development of electron Bernstein wave emission (EBWE) at particular frequencies as well as the frequency spectrum of EBWE as would be seen by the recently installed NSTX antennae are computed. The simulation of EBWE at low frequencies (e.g., 16 GHz) agrees well with the recent preliminary EBWE measurements on NSTX. At high frequencies, the sensitivity of EBWE to magnetic field variations is understood by considering the Doppler broadened electron …

Go to article

Optimization Of Ultraviolet Emission And Chemical Species Generation From A Pulsed Dielectric Barrier Discharge At Atmospheric Pressure, Xinpei Lu, Mounir Laroussi Jan 2005

Optimization Of Ultraviolet Emission And Chemical Species Generation From A Pulsed Dielectric Barrier Discharge At Atmospheric Pressure, Xinpei Lu, Mounir Laroussi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

One of the attractive features of nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasmas is the ability to achieve enhanced gas phase chemistry without the need for elevated gas temperatures. This attractive characteristic recently led to their extensive use in applications that require low temperatures, such as material processing and biomedical applications. The agents responsible for the efficient plasma reactivity are the ultraviolet (UV) photons and the chemically reactive species. In this paper, in order to optimize the UV radiation and reactive species generation efficiency, the plasma was generated by a dielectric barrier discharge driven by unipolar submicrosecond square pulses. To keep the discharge …

Go to article

Room-Temperature Atmospheric Pressure Plasma For Biomedical Applications, Mounir Laroussi, Xinpei Lu Jan 2005

Room-Temperature Atmospheric Pressure Plasma For Biomedical Applications, Mounir Laroussi, Xinpei Lu

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

As low-temperature non-equilibrium plasmas come to play an increasing role in biomedical applications, reliable and user-friendly sources need to be developed. These plasma sources have to meet stringent requirements such as low temperature (at or near room temperature), no risk of arcing, operation at atmospheric pressure, preferably hand-held operation, low concentration of ozone generation, etc. In this letter, we present a device that meets exactly such requirements. This device is capable of generating a cold plasma plume several centimeters in length. It exhibits low power requirements as shown by its current-voltage characteristics. Using helium as a carrier gas, very little …

Go to article

Influence Of Antenna Aiming On Ece In Mast, Josef Preinhaelter, Jakub Urban, Pavol Pavlo, Vladimir Shevchenko, Martin Valovič, Linda L. Vahala, George Vahala Jan 2004

Influence Of Antenna Aiming On Ece In Mast, Josef Preinhaelter, Jakub Urban, Pavol Pavlo, Vladimir Shevchenko, Martin Valovič, Linda L. Vahala, George Vahala

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The effect of the direction of the detected beam on the intensity of ECE is studied. It is found that the combined effects of the strong dependence of the conversion efficiencey of O mode at the plasma resonance on the direction of the incident wave and the partial screening of the beam waist by the MAST vessel wall, can be responsible for the weakening of ECE emission for some frequencies. The theoretical model for ECE data interpretation on MAST has been significantly improved. New features of the model are as follows: the quasioptical treatment of the receiving antenna, interference, polarization …

Go to article

Power Consideration In The Pulsed Dielectric Barrier Discharge At Atmospheric Pressure, M. Laroussi, X. Lu, V. Kolobov, R. Arslanbekov Jan 2004

Power Consideration In The Pulsed Dielectric Barrier Discharge At Atmospheric Pressure, M. Laroussi, X. Lu, V. Kolobov, R. Arslanbekov

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Nonequilibrium, atmospheric pressure discharges are rapidly becoming an important technological component in material processing applications. Amongst their attractive features is the ability to achieve enhanced gas phase chemistry without the need for elevated gas temperatures. To further enhance the plasma chemistry, pulsed operation with pulse widths in the nanoseconds range has been suggested. We report on a specially designed, dielectric barrier discharge based diffuse pulsed discharge and its electrical characteristics. Two current pulses corresponding to two consecutive discharges are generated per voltage pulse. The second discharge, which occurs at the falling edge of the voltage pulse, is induced by the …

Go to article

Electron Bernstein Wave-X-O Mode Conversion And Electron Cyclotron Emission In Mast, Josef Preinhaelter, Pavol Pavlo, Vladimir Shevchenko, Martin Valovic, Linda L. Vahala, George Vahala Jan 2003

Electron Bernstein Wave-X-O Mode Conversion And Electron Cyclotron Emission In Mast, Josef Preinhaelter, Pavol Pavlo, Vladimir Shevchenko, Martin Valovic, Linda L. Vahala, George Vahala

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Electron cyclotron emission (ECE) from overdense plasmas can only occur due to electron Bernstein waves (EBW) mode converting near the upper hybrid region to an electromagnetic wave. Experimental data of ECE observations on MAST are studied and compared with EBW-X-O mode conversion modeling results.

Go to article

Acceleration Element For Femtosecond Electron Pulse Compression, Bao-Liang Qian, Hani E. Elsayed-Ali Jan 2002

Acceleration Element For Femtosecond Electron Pulse Compression, Bao-Liang Qian, Hani E. Elsayed-Ali

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

An acceleration element is proposed for compressing the electron pulse duration in a femtosecond photoelectron gun. The element is a compact metal cavity with curved-shaped walls. An external voltage is applied to the cavity where a special electric field forms in such a way that the slow electrons in the electron pulse front are accelerated more than the fast electrons, and consequently the electron pulse duration will be compressed. The distribution of the electric field inside the acceleration cavity is analyzed for the geometry of the cavity. The electron dynamics in this acceleration cavity is also investigated numerically. Numerical results …

Go to article

Electron Pulse Broadening Due To Space Charge Effects In A Photoelectron Gun For Electron Diffraction And Streak Camera Systems, Bao-Liang Qian, Hani E. Elsayed-Ali Jan 2002

Electron Pulse Broadening Due To Space Charge Effects In A Photoelectron Gun For Electron Diffraction And Streak Camera Systems, Bao-Liang Qian, Hani E. Elsayed-Ali

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The electron pulse broadening and energy spread, caused by space charge effects, in a photoelectron gun are studied analytically using a fluid model. The model is applicable in both the photocathode-to-mesh region and the postanode electron drift region. It is found that space charge effects in the photocathode-to-mesh region are generally unimportant even for subpicosecond pulses. However, because of the long drift distance, electron pulse broadening due to space charge effects in the drift region is usually significant and could be much larger than the initial electron pulse duration for a subpicosecond electron pulse. Space charge effects can also lead …

Go to article

Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating In Spherical Plasmas: O-X-Ebw Mode Conversion In Mast, Josef Preinhaelter, M. A. Irzak, Linda L. Vahala, George Vahala Jan 2001

Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating In Spherical Plasmas: O-X-Ebw Mode Conversion In Mast, Josef Preinhaelter, M. A. Irzak, Linda L. Vahala, George Vahala

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Using a full wave solution, the O-X-EBW mode conversion is examined for density and magnetic profiles in MAST. The effects of magnetic shear and the sharp density pedestal for H-mode operation are considered with an eye to understanding both electron cyclotron emission (ECE) and electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH).

Go to article

Turbulence Modeling Of The Toroidal Wall Heat Load Due To Shear Flows Over Cavities In The Neutral Gas Blanket Divertor Regime, George Vahala, Linda L. Vahala, Joseph Morrison Jan 1997

Turbulence Modeling Of The Toroidal Wall Heat Load Due To Shear Flows Over Cavities In The Neutral Gas Blanket Divertor Regime, George Vahala, Linda L. Vahala, Joseph Morrison

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Heat loads to the target plate in reactor tokamaks are estimated to be orders of magnitude higher than those that can be withstood by known materials. In regimes of plasma detachment, there is strong evidence that plasma recombination occurs near the divertor plate, leading to a cold neutral gas blanket. Because of the strong coupling between the plasma and the neutrals within the divertor region, there is significant neutral flows along field lines up to Mach 1.2 and Reynolds numbers over 1000. The effects of three dimensional (3D) neutral turbulence within the gas blanket on heat deposition to the toroidal …

Go to article

Effects Of Large Aspect Ratios And Fluctuations On Hard X-Ray-Detection In Lower Hybrid Driven Divertor Tokamaks, Linda L. Vahala, George Vahala, Paul Bonoli Jan 1995

Effects Of Large Aspect Ratios And Fluctuations On Hard X-Ray-Detection In Lower Hybrid Driven Divertor Tokamaks, Linda L. Vahala, George Vahala, Paul Bonoli

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

It is shown that lower hybrid wave scattering from fluctuations plays a critical role in large aspect ratio divertor plasmas even through the edge density fluctuation levels are only at 1%. This is seen in the theoretically calculated electron power-density profiles which can be directly correlated to the standard experimental chordal hard x-ray profiles. It thus seems that fluctuation effects must be included in determining rf current-density profiles.

Go to article

Effect Of Fluctuations On Lower Hybrid Power Deposition And Hard X-Ray Detection, George Vahala, Linda L. Vahala, Paul T. Bonoli Jan 1992

Effect Of Fluctuations On Lower Hybrid Power Deposition And Hard X-Ray Detection, George Vahala, Linda L. Vahala, Paul T. Bonoli

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The hard X-ray intensity radial profiles from lower hybrid current drive experiments are interpreted as being correlated with fluctuations in the bulk plasma. This view seems to be dictated by comparing the hard X-ray data for various n║ with the Monte Carlo solutions of the lower hybrid wave energy deposition on plasma electrons. Information on internal magnetic fluctuations may, under certain conditions, be unfolded from a n║ scan of the hard X-ray profiles.

Go to article

Self-Consistent Determination Of Low-Za Pellet Ablation And Pellet Penetration, Linda L. Vahala, Glenn Gerdin, A. G. El Cashlan, Paul Parks Jan 1992

Self-Consistent Determination Of Low-Za Pellet Ablation And Pellet Penetration, Linda L. Vahala, Glenn Gerdin, A. G. El Cashlan, Paul Parks

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The ablation dynamics of LiT pellets are solved self-consistently over a modest range of parameters using a surface dissociation model. The self-consistently determined parameters are then used to modify the standard low-Z pellet penetration codes. Since LiT pellets have certain advantages over carbon [in particular, Li conditioning of the walls and T for refueling a D-T reaction], the penetration of LiT into fusion plasmas is considered.

Go to article

Effect Of Magnetic And Density Fluctuations On The Propagation Of Lower Hybrid Waves In Tokamaks, George Vahala, Linda L. Vahala, Paul T. Bonoli Jan 1992

Effect Of Magnetic And Density Fluctuations On The Propagation Of Lower Hybrid Waves In Tokamaks, George Vahala, Linda L. Vahala, Paul T. Bonoli

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Lower hybrid waves have been used extensively for plasma heating, current drive, and ramp-up as well as sawteeth stabilization, The wave kinetic equation for lower hybrid wave propagation is extended to include the effects of both magnetic and density fluctuations. This integral equation is then solved by Monte Carlo procedures for a toroidal plasma. It is shown that even for magnetic/density fluctuation levels on the order of 10-4, there are significant magnetic fluctuation effects on the wave power deposition into the plasma. This effect is quite pronounced if the magnetic fluctuation spectrum is peaked within the plasma. For …

Go to article

Charge-State Equilibrium And Nonequilibrium Modeling Of The Carbon-Pellet Plasma Interaction, A. G. Elcashlan, G. A. Gerdin, L. L. Vahala, P. B. Parks Jan 1992

Charge-State Equilibrium And Nonequilibrium Modeling Of The Carbon-Pellet Plasma Interaction, A. G. Elcashlan, G. A. Gerdin, L. L. Vahala, P. B. Parks

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Self-consistent equilibrium and nonequilibrium charge-state models are formulated for the spherical expansion of low-Z pellet vapor as an inviscid perfect gas of constant ratio of specific heats being heated volumetrically by the incident electrons of a thermonuclear plasma. The two models are found to be in agreement in the region where the ratio of the ionization length ζj to pellet radius rp is less than unity, but a single parameter, such as the magnitude of this ratio on the sonic surface, is insufficient to determine whether an equilibrium model will be valid for all regions of the ablatant …

Go to article

Electromagnetic Wave Scattering From Magnetic Fluctuations In Tokamaks, L. L. Vahala, G. Vahala, N. Bretz Jan 1992

Electromagnetic Wave Scattering From Magnetic Fluctuations In Tokamaks, L. L. Vahala, G. Vahala, N. Bretz

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Cross sections are calculated for electromagnetic wave scattering and mode transformation from magnetic and density fluctuations in a homogeneous plasma. For the special case of scattering perpendicular to the magnetic field, density fluctuations scatter ordinary to ordinary and extraordinary to extraordinary modes-but cannot transform these modes. On the other hand, magnetic fluctuations perpendicular to the field can transform modes but cannot scatter on a single branch. For incident frequencies on the order of the electron plasma frequency or gyrofrequency, the cross sections for scattering and transformation due to field and density fluctuations have a similar value. Estimates are given for …

Go to article

Measurement Of Magnetic Fluctuations By O-X Mode Conversion, L. L. Vahala, G. Vahala, N. Bretz Jan 1990

Measurement Of Magnetic Fluctuations By O-X Mode Conversion, L. L. Vahala, G. Vahala, N. Bretz

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The possibility of measuring magnetic fluctuations in a fusion plasma is considered by examining the O→X mode conversion. Under certain conditions and with good angular resolution, this mode conversion can be attributed to the presence of magnetic fluctuations even though the level of these fluctuations is much lower than that of density fluctuations. Some nonideal effects such as mode polarization mismatch at the plasma edge are also discussed.

Go to article

Application Of The Results Of Carbon Pellet Modeling To The Problem Of Plasma Penetration, L. L. Vahala, A. G. El Cashlan, G. A. Gerdin, P. B. Parks Jan 1990

Application Of The Results Of Carbon Pellet Modeling To The Problem Of Plasma Penetration, L. L. Vahala, A. G. El Cashlan, G. A. Gerdin, P. B. Parks

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The assumptions of the evaporation model for low-Z pellets interacting with magnetic fusion plasmas developed by Parks are tested. These assumptions are that the vapor density profile in the region adjacent to the pellet surface falls off with radial distance as r-α , where 5 <α<6, and that the ionization time for the transition between charge states זf (i.e., for r < ~3 sonic radii). The first assumption is tested by solving a two-parameter eigenvalue problem for the evaporation cloud in the region interior to the sonic radius; the results are found to be consistent with the low-Z evaporation model. The second assumption, that זzi «זf, is tested at the sonic radius using the results from atomic physics and the low-Z evaporation model. It is found that indeed זzi «זf for plasmas with parameters close to thermonuclear conditions (e.g. CIT), but not for those of smaller Tokamaks such as …

Go to article

Stable Equilibrium Statistical States For Spheromaks, George Vahala, Linda L. Vahala Jan 1979

Stable Equilibrium Statistical States For Spheromaks, George Vahala, Linda L. Vahala

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Incompressible nondissipative magnetohydrodynamic turbulence is treated for spherical systems. From the absolute equilibrium expectation values of the fields one can investigate those initially quiescent states for which no large mean square velocity will develop. This stable state is force-free and gives rise to the Hill vortex structure for the magnetic flux surfaces.

Go to article

Comments On 'Fluctuations In Guiding Center Plasma In Two Dimensions', George Vahala, Linda L. Vahala, David Montgomery, Glenn Joyce Jan 1974

Comments On 'Fluctuations In Guiding Center Plasma In Two Dimensions', George Vahala, Linda L. Vahala, David Montgomery, Glenn Joyce

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

It is stated that the principal result of the paper by Taylor and Thompson (see abstr. A14511 of 1973) on autocorrelations in density for the electrostatic guiding center plasma in two dimensions is wrong owing to an incorrect integration. It is further stated that there is no meaningful distinction between an `interaction cutoff' and a `fluctuation cutoff'.

Go to article

First Prev