BARC/PUB/2012/0446

 
 

Measurement of plasma parameters in zirconium plasma using langmuir probe

 
     
 
Author(s)

Jana, B.; Majumder, A.; Baruah, S.; Sahu, G. K.; Thakur, K. B.; Mago, V. K.; Das, A. K.
(L&PTD)

Source

AIP Conference Proceedings, 2012. Vol. 1451: pp. 254-256

ABSTRACT

Zirconium (Zr) plasma is produced by electron-impact ionization during Zr vapor evaporation in an electron beam evaporator. The plasma is embedded in the vapor. It expands along with the vapor in a transverse magnetic field. Parameters like ion density, electron temperature, space potential, floating potential of the plasma were measured by a disc type Langmuir probe. Since Zr metal has high melting point (~ 2128 K), the evaporator is filled with condensable vapor and remains at high temperature (~ 700 K). The probe was designed and fabricated in a manner that the insulator was protected from the direct deposition of Zr vapor. The measurement shows that the e-beam generated plasma is weakly ionized (degree of ionization ~ 0.1 %) and it has low electron temperature (~ 0.1 eV). It is also observed that the plasma ions have a flow velocity in vertical direction similar to the neutral atoms.

 
 
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