Review paper A4. Plasma impurities and cooling

In high-temperature low-density plasmas radiation cooling by impurity atoms can be an important energy loss mechanism, since the radiation is not reabsorbed. In a brief historical survey it is shown that the problem is not new but was discussed since the first beginning of controlled thermo-nuclear fusion research. It is then shown how radiation losses enter into the general power balance equation of a plasma containing impurities. The equations for the different types of radiation losses are given as a function of the atomic quantities. In a special section simplications due to the corona model assumption are discussed. It follows a detailed survey of the results obtained by several authors for the ionization balance and power losses of impurity elements observed in present high-temperature plasma machines used in CTR, especially in Tokamaks. In the conclusion a survey is given of the atomic data which experimentalists and theorists need for current research on impurities in fusion-like plasmas.     

等离子体中氖输运及辐射特性模拟

通过假定一定的温度和密度分布,数值求解了一维等离子体连续性方程,获得了杂质氖电离态分布及辐射功率随空间位置和时间的变化.计算结果显示,在杂质注入时间较短时,由于离子输运及各种损失机制,总杂质密度在空间分布尚未达到平衡,电离态离子主要分布在等离子体周边,完全电离离子所占份额很小.当时间达到0.2s时,氖在等离子体中完全达到平衡状态,体积辐射功率趋于一个稳定的数值.达到平衡状态后,芯部一个很大范围内氖杂质主要以Ne 10离子型态存在,辐射功率以轫致辐射为主,因此辐射功率较小.辐射功率在空间的分布随时间变化较小,主要分布在等离子体周边及边界层一个狭小的辐射带内,说明氖引起的辐射主要由低电离态离子引起.     

Synergy of anomalous transport and radiation in the density limit

The critical plasma density n(cr) above which the edge anomalous transport in tokamaks is dominated by drift resistive ballooning instability is found analytically. In this transport regime, the drastic increase of particle losses and drop of the edge temperature provoke a strong increase in impurity radiation, and thermal equilibrium does not exist if the density is ramped up above the ultimate limit n(max). Because of the nonlinear character of impurity radiation, this density limit n(max) is very close to n(cr) and practically does not change with the ion effective charge. The importance of the synergy between the anomalous transport and impurity radiation for the density limit phenomenon is confirmed by the results of numerical simulations.     

Nonstatistical temperature fluctuations and displacement of equilibrium

It is shown that an anomalously large displacement of equilibrium occurs in systems with rapidly oscillating temperature. The thermodynamic parameters of such a system differ substantially from the values corresponding to constant temperature. The dynamics of the distributions of hydrogen ions and impurity helium and carbon ions over ionization states in a hydrogen plasma and the dynamics of the intensity distribution of the line radiation of impurity carbon in a hydrogen plasma with oscillating temperature are calculated as an example. In systems with fluctuating temperature, the effect in question could be important in virtually all problems based on levelwise kinetics, for example, the energy balance and spectral diagnostics of turbulent plasma, the criterion of thermal stability, the dynamics of turbulent plasma and gas jets, the conditions for amplifier and oscillator operation in the active media of electric-discharge gas lasers, and so on. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 67, No. 5, 308–312 (10 March 1998)     

含有杂质的托卡马克等离子体输运的数值研究

应用一维输运模型数值研究杂质及中性粒子对托卡马克放电的影响,对含氧杂质的ST和HT-6B放电进行计算模拟,结果与实验符合很好。     

Radiation losses of a theta pinch plasma in the wave-length range 10–200 Å

In order to measure the radiation losses of a theta pinch plasma (electron densityn _e=1?5×10¹⁶ cm^?3, electron temperatureT _e=150?350 eV), a grazing incidence spectrograph is absolutely calibrated in the range 10–200 Å. This is done in two steps: First the measured intensity ratios of lines emitted by hydrogen-like ions are compared with their calculated values thus yielding the relative sensitivity of the instrument. The result is confirmed by incorporating well known intensity ratios of lithium-like ions. Secondly absolute calibration is possible by hanging the spectrograph on an absolutely calibrated monochromator via the branching-ratios of lithium-like ions. Radiation losses from the plasma turn out to be negligible as compared with heat conduction losses and the total energy radiated is found to be small compared with the energy content of the electrons, if the impurity concentration does not exceed 0.5 percent. The radiation is found to be predominantly emitted by the resonance lines of the oxygen and carbon ions O VI, O VII, O VIII, CV, CVI whereas continuum radiation and the contribution from other ions are negligible small. However, in discharge where the oxygen concentration reaches 5 percent, radiation losses can exceed the losses by heat conduction during the early phase of the discharge. But still the final electron temperature is not significantly influenced by the impurities.     

托卡马克中轻杂质速率方程的求解

在日冕和非日冕两种模型下, 分别求解了电离速率方程。在给定电子温度和密度剖面下, 给出了杂质离子辐射率随时间和电子温度变化的计算结果, 并讨论了相关物理过程。     

Saha decrements and collisional-radiative recombination and ionization coefficients for a nonequilibrium oxygen plasma

Using a time-dependent approach, a collisional-radiative model is developed for an oxygen plasma. Effective recombination and ionization coefficients are calculated for two specific cases, optically thin and optically thick in bound-bound u.v. radiation. The steady-state population densities for neutral and ionic states are presented in terms of their deviations from Saha equilibrium predictions. These results show the approach of the plasma to a state of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) as a function of electron temperature and density. The computations are for temperatures between 1.0 and 3.0 eV and electron densities between 10¹⁶ and 10¹⁹ cm^-3.     

Radiation loss in a compound plasma system with high and low temperature regions

A code has been developed for calculating the non-coronal radiation of impurity in a compound plasma system which consists of high and low temperature regions. The radiation loss of impurity carbon in this system is calculated and analysed. The cooling rate in this system is smaller than that in a homogeneous plasma system due to the particle exchange between the two regions of the system. The volumetric radiation is much bigger in the low temperature region than in the high temperature region because of the relatively low temperature and high electron density, despite the much smaller volume.     

Diagnostics for first plasma study on EAST tokamak

The first plasma was obtained in the EAST on September 26th, 2006. Single-null (SN) and double-null (DN) diverted plasmas were achieved successfully in the EAST tokamak on January 22nd, 2007. The employed plasma diagnostics for first plasma study of EAST are as follows: a vertical one-channel far-infrared (FIR) hydrogen cyanide (HCN) laser interferometer for measuring the line average density, a 10-channel soft X-ray array for intensity measurement, a 16-channel heterodyne Electron Cyclotron Emission (ECE) for measuring the electron temperature profile, a 8-channel XUV bolometer array to measure plasma radiation losses, a 3-channel hard X-ray array for intensity measurement, an electromagnetic measurement system, a 35-channel Hα radiation array, 20 probes for divertor plasma, a one-channel visible bremsstrahlung emission, an impurity optical spectrum measurement system and two optical spectroscopic multi-channel analyzers (OMA). The first experimental results of diagnostic systems are summarized in this Letter.     

Detection of gravitational waves by electromagnetic radiation

A statistical theory of the ionization — recombination equilibrium of a non-degenerate plasma in a homogeneous magnetic field is given. It is shown that the magnetic field changes the reactive composition if the quanta of the oscillatory electron motion in the magnetic field — which corresponds classically to the electron gyration — are of the order of or larger than the thermal energy,?ω?kT. The ionization may be enhanced or depressed depending on whether the background gas of the plasma is diamagnetic or paramagnetic. Some low temperature experiments, where such an anomalous “magnetic ionization” might be observable, are discussed briefly.     

Beam-Plasma Heating Model

A one-dimensional ionization and heating model is applied to results of several electron-beam-plasma interaction experiments. Beam energy is deposited resistively in the plasma at a rate ?j2, where j is the return current density and ? the plasma resistivity both classical and anomalous due to ion acoustic or e-e-mode turbulence. Principal energy losses include ionization, line radiation, inelastic electron impact excitation, bremsstrahlung and radiative recombination. The level of ionization and plasma heating are computed as a function of neutral gas pressure, beam rise time, pulsewidth and current density, and resistivity model. Plasma dynamics and kinetic effects such as expansion and end loss are not explicitly included in the model.     

HT—6B装置上升段杂质光谱分析

本文在HT-6B装置上对初始段氧杂质光谱的绝对测量的基础上,在空间参数均匀分布假设下运用数值模拟方法,不仅分析出了上升段的电子温度T_e的时间过程,还推算出杂质辐射损失等其它方面的信息,丰富了对初始段的认识。     

Radiative cooling of tokamak plasmas due to multiply-charged Fe impurity ions

Calculations are presented for the rates of radiative energy loss from tokamak plasmas arising from radiation processes involving collisions between electrons and multiply-charged Fe impurity ions. The distribution of ionization states is determined from the steady-state corona model. The inclusion of dielectronic recombination raises the temperature at which each ion has its maximum equilibrium abundance. For certain nonhydrogenic ions, the dielectronic recombination rates obtained from previous calculations are found to be overestimated due to the neglect of autoionization into an excited state of the recombining ion. Electron impact excitation of resonance line radiation in the far ultraviolet and X-ray regions is the dominant radiative cooling mechanism at temperatures where ions with bound electrons are abundant. However, the radiation emitted during dielectronic recombination can be more important than direct recombination radiation and bremsstrahlung.     

高气压均匀直流辉光放电等离子体的光学特性

在高气压(大于100 Torr, 1 Torr=1.33322×10² Pa)平板位形的均匀直流辉光放电中, 一定条件下观察到平行排列的明暗相间的等离子体辉纹. 结合等离子体的光发射谱诊断, 研究了气体组分对等离子体光学特性的影响. 研究发现, 随着甲烷浓度的增加, 辉纹间距减小, 相应的电子激发温度降低. 当甲烷浓度增加时, 等离子体中低电离能的粒种增加, 粒子平均电离能减小, 这种情况下, 电子被电场加速较短的距离所获得的能量就可以激发粒子, 产生可见的光发射, 表现为辉纹间距缩短. 随着氩气的引入, 能够观察到明显的辉纹, 且增大氩气含量, 辉纹间距增加, 这与氩的较高电离能有关, 而相应的电子激发温度增加. 研究结果表明, 随着工作气体的改变, 等离子体辉纹间距呈现出一种对电子温度的响应.     

Study of impurity behaviour in non-coronal equilibrium state

A physical model of analysing the behaviour of impurities out of coronal equilibrium in tokamak plasmas has been proposed. Through solving the time-dependent rate equations including the effects of atomic processes and the particle transport losses, the ionization state distribution is obtained for a range of low Z impurities such as helium, carbon, oxygen and argon. By using the ionization state distribution of these impurities, the radiation rate coefficients and the mean charge state changing with plasma temperature are calculated. The results show that the mean charge state （Z） is sensitively dependent on the parameter neT, and this is the reason why the radiation power of impurities under non-coronal equilibrium conditions is several orders of magnitude higher than that under coronal equilibrium condition.[第一段]     

FEB-E动态气靶偏滤器的研究

在ＦＥＢ－Ｅ设计阶段,偏波器从开放式固定板靶优化为封闭式气体靶,以改善偏滤器的杂质控制和增加离子与气体的相互作用,通过喷气和注入杂质获得的部分脱靶等离子体形成了动态气体靶,喷气能降低删削层（ＳＯＬ）处等离子体温度,沪入的杂质增加了ＳＯＬ处的辐射功率,使靶板的负载降低,用ＮＥＷＴ１Ｄ编码模拟了ＳＯＬ处等离子体和杂质（硼杂质）的输运,得到了杂质、等离本温度和等离了体密度分布。着眼于杂质的滞留物辐射,优     

HL-1M装置的杂质线辐射特性

给出了HL－1M装置放电实验中杂质线辐射的测量结果。氢分子束注入, 子体电子密度n。明显提高,而杂质浓度大大降低。对应于分子束注入脉冲,分子束的“团族”效应引起了杂质辐射峰化时间的错位。     

Generation of multiply charged refractory metals in an electron-cyclotron resonant discharge in a direct magnetic trap

The possibility of additional ionization of refractory metal ions in the vacuum arc plasma injected to a magnetic trap due to additional heating of electrons by microwave radiation under the conditions of electron-cyclotron resonance is demonstrated. High-power short-wave radiation of gyrotrons used in experiment makes it possible to work with a higher (on the order of 10¹³ cm⁻³) density of the plasma and to ensure the confinement parameter at a level of 3 × 10⁸ cm⁻³ s at an electron temperature sufficient for multiple ionization.