Speaker
Description
The University of Saskatchewan Dense Plasma Focus (USASK-DPF) device is currently being optimized as a pulsed ion source for future plasma–wall interaction and material damage studies. USASK-DPF is a Mather-type dense plasma focus device consisting of a coaxial electrode arrangement enclosed in a low-pressure gas chamber and driven by the rapid discharge of a capacitor bank. During operation, the gas breaks down and forms a plasma current sheath that propagates along the electrodes before collapsing near the anode tip, forming a dense plasma capable of generating energetic ion beams, x-rays, and neutrons. Due to the relatively low operating cost and high ion fluxes, DPF devices are of interest for plasma–wall interaction studies. Previous studies have shown that damage factors due to DPF ion beams are similar to those associated with edge localized modes (ELMs) in modern tokamaks. Current efforts focus on implementing pre-ionization techniques, optimizing discharge conditions under different argon and hydrogen pressures, and developing ion-beam diagnostics. The main objective of this work is to improve discharge reproducibility and characterize the energy, flux, and fluence of the generated ion beams.
| Email address | jav674@usask.ca |
|---|---|
| Visitor's Visa | no |
| Classification | Beam diagnostics |