Mihaljcic, B., Browning, P.K. and Gibson, K.J. (2007) Spatially resolved spectroscopy of detached recombining plasmas in the University of Manchester Linear System divertor simulator. Physics of Plasmas, 14 (1). 013501-1. ISSN 1070-664X
Abstract
The University of Manchester Linear System (ULS) [M. G. Rusbridge et al., Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 42, 588 (2000)] is an experiment in which a steady-state plasma stream is confined along a longitudinal magnetic field. The plasma passes through a tapered orifice into a separate gas target chamber (GTC) where it interacts with neutral gas at pressures of up to 15 mTorr. The upstream plasma beam is 6–14 mm in diameter with electron temperatures between 2 and 15 eV, and densities in the range of 1017–1019 m−3. The primary aim of this study is to investigate physical processes relevant to gas target divertors in tokamaks. Upstream parameters, in terms of electron temperature and density, can be varied in the ULS enabling the investigation of electron-ion recombination (EIR) or molecular-activated recombination (MAR) processes. Detached recombining plasmas have been studied in the GTC using an axially scanning spectroscopic system with a spatial resolution of less than 5 mm. We have investigated two distinct plasma regimes having the same electron temperature upstream, but upstream densities that differ by an order of magnitude. Vibrationally excited molecules, which are a necessary prerequisite for MAR, have been detected in both these cases. In the higher density case, which ultimately detaches via EIR processes, these excited molecules are present upstream of the EIR region.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Physics (York) |
Depositing User: | York RAE Import |
Date Deposited: | 25 Feb 2009 10:02 |
Last Modified: | 25 Feb 2009 10:02 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.2424425 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | American Institute of Physics |
Identification Number: | 10.1063/1.2424425 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:7231 |