Analysis of the size and shape of polydisperse dust particles in a complex glow discharge plasma

The size and shape factor distribution of levitating particles is studied by the method of extraction of dust particles from the discharge chamber. Two dust traps existing in a glow discharge in the strata and above the lower wall of the tube near the bend in the current channel are investigated separately. It is found that the size distribution of polydisperse particles of an arbitrary shape is of the bimodal type due to simultaneous levitation of particles with two shape factors. Polydisperse spherical particles of any size exhibit levitation due to the separation of particles over the wall thickness. For identical parameters of the discharge, the size of the particle in neon is slightly larger than in krypton; the particle size in the trap located in a stratum is substantially larger than the particle size in the trap above the wall of the discharge tube. Precision determination of the shape and size of particles makes it possible to estimate the electric field strength for dust traps. It is shown that the glow discharge can be used as a tool for separation of dust particles in a wide range of their sizes.     

A planar Penning trap

We present a new concept for a Penning trap, which is planar and allows for the implementation of novel confinement techniques. The trap provides confinement perpendicular to its plane by an electric potential minimum while a superimposed magnetic field provides radial confinement. Both the axial position and the depth of the potential minimum can be controlled by the applied voltages. The device is scalable in the sense that an arbitrary number of planar traps can be embedded in one plane thus representing a multitrap array which can be used for particle interaction studies. Switches between different traps in the planar array allow for controlled interactions between the single stored particles.     

A study of methods for moving particles in RF processing plasmas

Methods for moving charged particles in RF processing plasmas are investigated. These methods include varying RF power, varying chamber pressure, attraction and repulsion by an electrostatic probe, and movement with magnetic fields. Varying RF power changes the depth of the potential wells where particles are trapped. The RF power affects shape and location of the traps and the bulk plasma potential. Increasing the chamber pressure moves the sheath edge closer to the wafer being processed. Since particle traps are found at the plasma sheath edge increasing the chamber pressure will move the particle traps (and any trapped particles) closer to the wafer being processed. The Langmuir probe can repel particles when under negative bias and attract them when positively biased. This probe can also distort the sheath edge when the tip resides within the sheath. Applying a magnetic field can change the characteristics of the particle traps and produce a force on the charged dust particles     

非均匀磁场磁镜粒子约束的Monte-Carlo模拟

本文在碰撞区和无碰撞区之间的过渡区,就LAMEX和抛物线轮廓两种空间变化磁场磁镜,用Monte-Carlo模拟研究了粒子约束问题。在过渡区,粒子约束时间高于其它两区公式的外推值,并与磁镜比成正比关系。这一模拟还用自洽解的方法得到了密度轮廓,并研究了这一轮廓和等离子体参数的关系。 关键词：     

Edge Turbulence During Limiter Biasing Experiments in the TJ-II Stellarator

The influence of limiter biasing on plasma confinement, turbulence and plasma flows has been investigated in the TJ-II stellarator. Experimental results show that it is possible to modify global particle confinement and edge plasma parameters with both positive and negative biasing. Significant and minor modifications in the structure of plasma fluctuations have been observed during the transition to improved confinement regimes induced by limiter biasing. These results show evidence of electric field induced improved confinement via multiple mechanisms. The investigation of the relaxation of plasma potential and electric fields shows evidence of two different characteristic decay times.     

A particle-in-cell simulation of dust charging and shielding in lowpressure glow discharges

The transport of particles (“dust”) in low pressure electrical glow discharges is being studied in regard to its role in contaminating silicon wafers during plasma etching and deposition. Particles (10 s nm-μm) negatively charge in glow discharges and, to first order, appear to be massively large negative ions around which sheaths develop. The forces on particles in plasmas include electrostatic (drift of charged particles in electric fields) and viscous ion drag. The latter force is momentum transfer from ions to particles by either collisions or orbital motion. This force critically depends on the charge on the particle and the shape of the sheath surrounding the particle. In this work, we report on a pseudoparticle-in-cell (PIC) simulation of the transport of electrons and ions in the vicinity of dust particles in low pressure glow discharges. The simulation produces the electrical charge on the dust particle, the sheath structure around the dust particle and the orbital dynamics of the ions. A companion molecular dynamics simulation uses these parameters to produce ion-dust and electron-dust particle cross sections for momentum transfer and collection. Results will be discussed for charge, sheath thickness, cross sections and viscous ion drag forces on dust particles as a function of radius and plasma parameters     

Quadrupole-induced resonant-particle transport in a pure electron plasma

Small transverse magnetic quadrupole fields sharply degrade the confinement of non-neutral plasmas held in Malmberg-Penning traps. For example, a quadrupole magnetic field of only 0.02 G/cm doubles the diffusion rate in a trap with a 100 G axial magnetic field. Larger quadrupole fields noticeably change the shape of the plasma. The transport is greatest at an orbital resonance. These results cast doubt on plans to use magnetic quadrupole neutral atom traps to confine antihydrogen atoms created in double-well positron/antiproton Malmberg-Penning traps.     

Scalar lattice gauge theory

Scalar lattice gauge theories are models for scalar fields with local gauge symmetries. No fundamental gauge fields, or link variables in a lattice regularization, are introduced. The latter rather emerge as collective excitations composed from scalars. For suitable parameters scalar lattice gauge theories lead to confinement, with all continuum observables identical to usual lattice gauge theories. These models or their fermionic counterpart may be helpful for a realization of gauge theories by ultracold atoms. We conclude that the gauge bosons of the standard model of particle physics can arise as collective fields within models formulated for other “fundamental” degrees of freedom.     

Phase-transition-like properties of double-beam optical tweezers

We report on double-beam optical tweezers that undergo previously unknown phase-transition-like behavior resulting in the formation of more optical traps than the number of beams used to create them. We classify the optical force fields which produce multiple traps for a double-beam system including the critical behavior. This effect is demonstrated experimentally in orthogonally polarized (noninterfering) dual-beam optical tweezers for a silica particle of 2.32 μm diameter. Phase transitions of multiple beam trapping systems have implications for hopping rates between traps and detection of forces between biomolecules using dual-beam optical tweezers. It is an example of a novel dynamic system with multiple states where force fields undergo a series of sign inversions as a function of parameters such as size and beam separation.     

先进磁镜装置中径向电场对高能粒子的约束性能研究

本文运用Boris算法对紧凑型聚变反应装置(compact fusion reactor, CFR)中高能a粒子的运动轨道进行了数值模拟,分析了高能a粒子在不同径向电场作用下运动轨道的差异性;探究了不同径向电场对CFR装置中不同位置处a粒子约束性能的影响.研究结果表明,当正、负径向电场强度达到一定临界值时,都能够使高能a粒子很好地约束在CFR装置内部,但不同位置处径向电场强度临界值与a粒子初始条件有关.     

Stability of an aqueous quadrupole micro-trap

The recently demonstrated functionality of an aqueous quadrupole micro- or nano-trap opens a new avenue for applications of Paul traps, like confinement of a charged biomolecule which requires a water environment for its chemical stability. Besides the strong viscosity forces, the motion of a charged particle in the aqueous trap is subject to dielectrophoretic and electrophoretic forces. In this study, we describe the general conditions for stability of a charged particle in an aqueous quadrupole trap. We find that for typical micro-trap parameters, the effects of both dielectrophoresis and electrophoresis significantly influence the trap stability. In particular, an aqueous quadrupole trap could play the role of a synthetic virtual nanopore for the third generation of DNA sequencing technology.     

Dust particles in a thermophoretic trap in a plasma

The feasibility of confining dust particles in a plasma by thermophoretic forces was demonstrated. An extended dust structure in a positive glow discharge column was experimentally obtained at liquid nitrogen temperature. The dust structure was confined in an electrostatic-thermal trap, in which vertical stability was provided by the summed action of longitudinal electrostatic field and thermophoretic forces. Traps of this kind can be analyzed in terms of the general principles developed for confining particles in traps with the use of electric and magnetic multipole fields. We were able to change the shape and volume of the structure and even separate it into parts by varying temperature fields.     

Spatial confinement of ultrasonic force fields in microfluidic channels

We demonstrate and investigate multiple localized ultrasonic manipulation functions in series in microfluidic chips. The manipulation functions are based on spatially separated and confined ultrasonic primary radiation force fields, obtained by local matching of the resonance condition of the microfluidic channel. The channel segments are remotely actuated by the use of frequency-specific external transducers with refracting wedges placed on top of the chips. The force field in each channel segment is characterized by the use of micrometer-resolution particle image velocimetry (micro-PIV). The confinement of the ultrasonic fields during single- or dual-segment actuation, as well as the cross-talk between two adjacent fields, is characterized and quantified. Our results show that the field confinement typically scales with the acoustic wavelength, and that the cross-talk is insignificant between adjacent fields. The goal is to define design strategies for implementing several spatially separated ultrasonic manipulation functions in series for use in advanced particle or cell handling and processing applications. One such proof-of-concept application is demonstrated, where flow-through-mode operation of a chip with flow splitting elements is used for two-dimensional pre-alignment and addressable merging of particle tracks.     

Magnetischer Teilcheneinschluß in Synchrotrons und Tokamaks

Inhomogeneous magnetic fields are fundamental to particle confinement in storage rings and fusion machines. An elementary discussion of single particle motion in these fields is presented and the different approaches specific to each situation, the orbit stability and the drift approximation, are pointed out. A comparison of both confinement schemes, however, also reveals several common features, such as the presence of Arnold diffusion with its deteriorating property in both cases.     

Oscillations of ions in a superposition of linear high-frequency

The concept of pseudopotential is used to study the ion trajectories in a superposition of uniform static and linear high-frequency electric fields. An ion-optical system is developed to generate a combination of electric fields with different spatial and temporal distributions of potentials. It is demonstrated that such systems can be used as ion traps with spatial confinement in a single quadrant or half plane in the Fouriertransform mass-spectrometers.     

Theoretical study of the trapping efficiency of an optical tweezers array system

Optical tweezers have been a valuable research tool since their invention in the 1980s. One of the most important developments in optical tweezers in recent years is the creation of two-dimensional arrays of optical traps. In this paper, a method based on interference is discussed to form gradient laser fields, which may cause the spatial modulation of particle concentration. The parameters related to the optical tweezers array are discussed in detail and simulated by the Matlab software to show the influence of important parameters on the distribution of particle concentration. The spatial redistribution of particles in a laser interference field can also be predicted according to the theoretical analysis.     

Interaction between glow discharge plasma and dust particles

The effect of dust particle concentration on gas discharge plasma parameters was studied through development of a self-consistent kinetic model which is based on solving the Boltzmann equation for the electron distribution function. It was shown that an increase in the Havnes parameter causes an increase in the average electric field and ion density, as well as a decrease in the charge of dust particles and electron density in a dust particle cloud. Self-consistent simulations for a wide range of plasma and dust particle parameters produced several scaling laws: these are laws for dust particle potential and electric field as a function of dust particle concentration and radius, and the discharge current density. The simulation results demonstrate that the process of self-consistent accommodation of parameters of dust particles and plasma in condition of particle concentration growth causes a growth in the number of high-energy electrons in plasma, but not to depletion of electron distribution function.     

Experimental confirmation of stable, small-debye-length, pure-electron-plasma equilibria in a stellarator

The creation of the first small-Debye length, low temperature pure electron plasmas in a stellarator is reported. A confinement time of 20 ms has been measured. The long confinement time implies the existence of macroscopically stable equilibria and that the single particle orbits are well confined despite the lack of quasisymmetry in the device, the Columbia non-neutral torus. This confirms the beneficial confinement effects of strong electric fields and the resulting rapid E x B rotation of the electrons. The particle confinement time is presently limited by the presence of bulk insulating materials in the plasma, rather than any intrinsic plasma transport processes. A nearly flat temperature profile is seen in the inner part of the plasma.     

Manipulation of magnetic particles by patterned arrays of magnetic spin-valve traps

A novel platform for microfluidic manipulation of magnetic particles is discussed. The particles are confined by an array of magnetic spin valves with bistable ferromagnetic “ON” and antiferromagnetic “OFF” net magnetization states. The switchable fringing fields near the spin-valve traps can be used to selectively confine or release particles for transport or sorting. Spin-valve traps may be potentially used as magnetic molecular tweezers or adapted to a low-power magnetic random access memory (MRAM) switching architecture for massively parallel particle sorting applications.     

Trapped-particle modes and asymmetry-induced transport in single-species plasmas

A new asymmetry-induced transport mechanism in pure electron plasmas is shown to be proportional to the damping rate of the corresponding trapped-particle mode, with simple scalings for all other parameters. This transport occurs when axial particle trapping exists due to variations in the electric or magnetic confinement fields. This new transport is strong for even weak unintentional trapping (deltaB/B approximately 10(-3)), and may be prevalent in transport experiments with magnetic or electrostatic theta asymmetries.