Plasma Production for New Applications

这个研究项目是为了研究产生血浆和诊断血浆的新方法。为许多新应用开发合适的等离子体是一个共同的需求。例如，等离子体热波场加速器和用于高能光束最终聚焦的等离子体透镜需要小而致密、均匀、静止和可再生的等离子体。等离子体处理需要直流等离子体源，其组成、温度和电势可以控制。首先，这项工作将探索射频螺旋波源的局限性，以期将其用于等离子体加速器研究和等离子体辅助材料加工。螺旋波的理论和实验研究已经开始。与此同时，将开始研究新的探针技术，用于测量存在强烈射频振荡的等离子体特性。然后，该项目将扩展到其他可能的电离方法，例如使用紫外闪光灯对Xe进行双光子电离，或激光加热毛细管放电，或Na的结合电离。所有这些方法都是非标准的，需要研究才能确定它们的可能性。

This research program is for the study of new methods for producing plasma and for diagnosing them. There is a common need to develop suitable plasmas for many new applications. For instance, the plasma beat-wave field accelerator and the plasma lens for final focus of high energy beams need small but dense, uniform, quiescent, and reproducible plasmas. Plasma processing requires dc plasma sources whose composition, temperature, and potential can be controlled. Initially, this work will explore the limits of rf helicon wave sources with a view towards using them in plasma accelerator research and in plasma-assisted materials processing. Research on helicon waves has already begun on both theory and experiment. At the same time, work will begin on new probe techniques for measuring plasma properties in the presence of strong radio frequency oscillations. The project will then extend to other possible methods of ionization, such as two-photon ionization of Xe using uv flashlamps, or laser-heated capillary discharges, or associative ionization of Na. All these methods are non-standard and need study before one can map out their possibilities.