The Effect of Ion-to-Electron Mass Ratio on the Electron Beam-Plasma Interaction

Two-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulations are carried out to investigate the effect of ion-to-electron mass ratio on the evolution of warm electron beam-plasma instability. Four cases are considered: A: mi/me = 0 (two-electron stream instability); B: mi/me = 1 (pair plasma); C: mi/me = 100; and D: mi/me = 1000. It is shown that the generation of Langmuir waves in the fundamental mode of electron plasma frequency and the subsequent dynamics of large-amplitude solitons are not affected by the ion species. However, it determines the decay process of solitons and the excitation of electromagnetic waves in the second harmonic. In the first two cases, mi/me = 0 and 1, there is no sign of emission in the second harmonic, while the strongest emission in the second harmonic is found for the case of largest mass ratio, mi/me = 1000. This confirms the two-step wave-wave coupling mechanism for the generation of second harmonic electromagnetic waves, which requires the excitation of ion-acoustic waves in the first step. Moreover, the dispersion diagrams of all excited waves are presented.

Metallurgical silicon refining using electron-beam plasma

The possibilities of plasma-chemical refining of metallurgical silicon have been demonstrated. It is shown that by electron-beam refining it is possible to reduce the concentration of phosphorus and boron, as well as the main metallic impurities by evaporation of both these impurities and their volatile compounds.

Electron beam-plasma discharge in GDT mirror trap: Particle-in-cell simulations

The paper presents the results of numerical simulations of the collective relaxation of an electron beam in a magnetized plasma at the parameters typical to experiments on the ignition of a beam-plasma discharge in the Gas Dynamic Trap. The goal of these simulations is to confirm the ideas about the mechanism of the discharge development, which are used to interpret the results of recent laboratory experiments [Soldatkina et al 2021 {\it Nucl. Fusion}]. In particular, a characteristic feature of these experiments is the localization of the beam relaxation region in the vicinity of the entrance mirror. A strong mirror magnetic field compresses the beam so that its transverse size becomes less than the wavelength it excites. In addition, near the mirror, the electron cyclotron frequency is much higher than the plasma one, which can significantly affect the possibility of propagation of the most unstable waves outside the beam. Particle-in-cell simulations make it possible not only to find how efficiently intense plasma oscillations penetrate the rarefied periphery, but also to prove that the turbulent zone in a realistic nonuniform plasma has regions dominated by transverse electric fields. This creates the necessary conditions for efficient acceleration of the trapped particles to energies much higher than the initial beam energy.

Electron beam-plasma discharge in GDT mirror trap: Experiments on plasma start-up with electron gun

The paper describes experiments on the injection of an electron beam into a gas at the Gas Dynamic Trap (GDT) and develops a technique for creating a starting plasma with parameters sufficient for its subsequent heating by neutral beams. It is found that a relatively thin electron beam is capable of ionizing plasma in the entire volume of the trap, and the plasma turbulence it excites is capable of accelerating some of the electrons to energies tens of times higher than the initial energy of the beam. It is shown that, in contrast to early experiments on tabletop open traps, collective beam relaxation under GDT conditions occurs in the vicinity of the entrance magnetic mirror. Since the electron cyclotron frequency in this region significantly exceeds the plasma frequency, it is necessary to study the mechanism of a beam-plasma discharge under these conditions. As a first step along this path, we measure the radial diffusion coefficient of fast particles, as well as the rate at which they gain energy.

Suppression by low-energy thermionic electrons of instabilities in the transport of a high-power electron beam in the forevacuum pressure range.

We report here the results of our studies on the effect of injection of low-energy thermionic electrons on the suppression of instabilities of the beam-plasma discharge type in a beam-plasma during the transport of a powerful continuous electron beam generated by a plasma-cathode electron source in the forevacuum range of pressure. As result of thermionic electron injection, the plasma electron temperature decreased to 0.3 eV and the plasma density decreased by an order of magnitude to 10^15 m-3. The minimal thermoelectron current required for suppressing the beam-plasma discharge increases with increasing emission current and decreases with increase of the beam accelerating voltage.

Effect of extinction beam-plasma discharge while the injection thermoelectrons during transportation of the electron beam in the forevacuum pressure range

The article presents the results of experiments aimed at studying the effect of low-energy thermoelectrons on the parameters of the beam plasma and plasma of the beam-plasma discharge generated during the transportation of a powerful electron beam in the pressure range of the medium vacuum. It is shown that the injection of a sufficiently small current of low-energy thermoelectrons is capable of violating the conditions for the combustion of the beam-plasma discharge and reducing the power loss of the electron beam for SPR generation. In this case, the plasma concentration decreases by almost an order of magnitude (to 1015 m–3) and the temperature of plasma electrons decreases by almost three (to 0.3 eV).

New Types of Dissipative Streaming Instabilities

Two new, previously unknown types of dissipative streaming instabilities (DSI) are substantiated. They follow from new approach, which allows solving in general form the classical problem of an initial perturbation development for streaming instabilities (SI). SI is caused by relative motion of the streams of plasma components. With an increase in level of dissipation SI transforms into a DSI. The transformation occurs because dissipation serves as a channel for energy removal for the growth of the negative energy wave of the stream. Until recently, only one type of DSI was known. Its maximal growth rate depends on the beam density nb and the collision frequency ν in the plasma as ∼nb/ν. All types of conventional beam-plasma instabilities (Cherenkov, cyclotron, etc.) transform into it. The solution of the problem of the initial perturbation development in systems with weak beam-plasma coupling leads to a new type of DSI. With an increase in the level of dissipation, the instability in these systems transforms to the new DSI. Its maximal growth rate is ∼nb/ν. The second new DSI develops in beam-plasma waveguide with over-limiting current of e-beam. Its growth rate ∼nb/ν. In addition, the solutions of abovementioned problem provide much information about SI and DSI, significant part of which is unavailable by other methods.