Measurement of the plasma jet parameters during material irradiation

Abstract

A technique is presented for determining the parameters of a high-energy plasma jet during the irradiation of the first wall of a thermonuclear reactor on a plasma gun bench. The plasma density is measured with a Michelson interferometer mounted on a through flange. The plasma velocity is determined by observing the propagation of the ionization front using a K008 streak camera. The plasma composition at the output of the accelerator and near the irradiated target is found with an AvaSpec 3648 panoramic spectrometer. The kinetic energy of the jet is recorded calorimetrically. The action (pressure) of the plasma jet on the target is confirmed with piezoelectric and interferometric methods simultaneously in each radiation event. It is found that the plasma gun bench is able to generate a plasma with an energy flux density similar to that observed in the case of edge-localized modes in a tokamak and makes it possible to carry out experiments aimed at developing protective materials for the international thermonuclear experimental reactor.