[Table of Contents]

Plasma and Fusion Research

Volume 10, 3401057 (2015)

Regular Articles


Development of Ar I and Ar II Measuring System using Laser-Induced Fluorescence Methods in High-Density Helicon Plasma
Daisuke KUWAHARA, Yuriko TANIDA, Masaki WATANABE1), Naoto TESHIGAHARA, Yukihiko YAMAGATA2) and Shunjiro SHINOHARA
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-Cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
1)
Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
2)
Kyushu University, 6-1 Kasuga-Koen, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580, Japan
(Received 25 November 2014 / Accepted 24 March 2015 / Published 27 July 2015)

Abstract

A particle flow velocity measurement is important to realize a behavior of exhausted plasma in an electric thruster. Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) method provides flow velocities of ions and neutral particles through measuring velocity distribution functions of them. In addition, LIF method has some advantages, shown as follows; 1) high-spatial resolution, 2) absolute measurement of flow velocity, 3) direction-selectivity of velocity distribution functions. We have developed Ar I and Ar II LIF measuring system to observe spatial profiles of velocity distribution functions of both neutral particles and ions in an experimental device of the helicon plasma thruster, having permanent magnets as the applied magnetic field. Flow velocity of the neutral particle in the axial direction was subsonic, and ion velocity was related with a gradient of the magnetic field.


Keywords

high-density helicon plasma, laser-induced fluorescence, RF plasma, electric thruster, flow velocity

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.10.3401057


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This paper may be cited as follows:

Daisuke KUWAHARA, Yuriko TANIDA, Masaki WATANABE, Naoto TESHIGAHARA, Yukihiko YAMAGATA and Shunjiro SHINOHARA, Plasma Fusion Res. 10, 3401057 (2015).