This article presents the physics for determining an appropriate helicon plasma source for the linear experimental advanced device(LEAD)through tripartite mutual verification encompassing theoretical analysis,code sim...This article presents the physics for determining an appropriate helicon plasma source for the linear experimental advanced device(LEAD)through tripartite mutual verification encompassing theoretical analysis,code simulation,and experimental validation.Using the HELIC code,plasma excitation processes were simulated with three antenna configurations:m=1 half-helix,m=1 Boswell,and m=0 single-loop helicon antennas,and complemented by theoretical analysis.Key parameters including plasma impedance(R_(p))and energy deposition profiles along radial(P_(r))and axial(P_(z))directions were comparatively analyzed,revealing significantly enhanced R_(p),P_(r),and P_(z) values for the loop antenna configuration as compared with other configurations.Wave propagation equation solutions predicted a primary plasma generation layer at the antenna center;numerical simulations identified an additional plasma formation region at the antenna boundary,indicative of edge Landau damping effects.Interestingly,stronger axial magnetic fields do not necessarily result in higher plasma densities,especially for m=0 antenna configurations.Experimental validation conducted with an m=0 multi-loop plasma source confirmed these findings.Both theoretical analyses and experimental studies on large-volume plasma generation utilizing this innovative source elucidated the underlying mechanisms responsible for the remarkable low mode transition threshold of 150-watt input power and demonstrated significantly enhanced plasma confinement properties.展开更多
A new magnetic field configuration is proposed by introducing a cusped field to the helicon plasma thruster(HPT),and the effects of the cusped field on the discharge characteristics of the HPT are investigated.The exp...A new magnetic field configuration is proposed by introducing a cusped field to the helicon plasma thruster(HPT),and the effects of the cusped field on the discharge characteristics of the HPT are investigated.The experimental results show that the thruster can still achieve a stable W mode discharge with the additional cusped field,while the discharge conditions have been changed so that a higher RF power is required to achieve the W mode under the same experimental conditions.However,the ion density in the plume region is increased by at least one order of magnitude and the ion flux density is increased by a factor of 4 to 5.The ionization enhancement is attributed to the change in magnetic field configuration,which improves the energy coupling efficiency and the ability to confine charged particles(particularly electrons).This magnetic confinement could employ more electrons to ionize the working medium atoms,and the ionization rate is enhanced.The increase in ion density leads to a reduction in the energy available for ion acceleration,resulting in a slight decrease in ion energy.展开更多
This paper deals with wave propagation and power coupling in blue-core helicon plasma driven by various antennas and frequencies.It is found that compared to non-blue-core mode,for blue-core mode,the wave can propagat...This paper deals with wave propagation and power coupling in blue-core helicon plasma driven by various antennas and frequencies.It is found that compared to non-blue-core mode,for blue-core mode,the wave can propagate in the core region,and it decays sharply outside the core.The power absorption is lower and steeper in radius for blue-core mode.Regarding the effects of antenna geometry for blue-core mode,it shows that half helix antenna yields the strongest wave field and power absorption,while loop antenna yields the lowest.Moreover,near axis,for antennas with m=+1,the wave field increases with axial distance.In the core region,the wave number approaches to a saturation value at much lower frequency for non-blue-core mode compared to blue-core mode.The total loading resistance is much lower for blue-core mode.These findings are valuable to understanding the physics of blue-core helicon discharge and optimizing the experimental performance of blue-core helicon plasma sources for applications such as space propulsion and material treatment.展开更多
In this work,we investigated the discharge characteristics and heating mechanisms of argon helicon plasma in different wave coupled modes with and without blue core.Spatially resolved spectroscopy and emission intensi...In this work,we investigated the discharge characteristics and heating mechanisms of argon helicon plasma in different wave coupled modes with and without blue core.Spatially resolved spectroscopy and emission intensity of argon atom and ion lines were measured via local optical emission spectroscopy,and electron density was measured experimentally by an RFcompensated Langmuir probe.The relation between the emission intensity and the electron density was obtained and the wavenumbers of helicon and’Trivelpiece-Gould’(TG)waves were calculated by solving the dispersion relation in wave modes.The results show that at least two distinct wave coupled modes appear in argon helicon plasma at increasing RF power,i.e.blue core(or BC)mode with a significant bright core of blue lights and a normal wave(NW)mode without blue core.The emission intensity of atom line 750.5 nm(lArⅠ750.5nm)is related to the electron density and tends to be saturated in wave coupled modes due to the neutral depletion,while the intensity of ion line 480.6 nm(IArⅡ480.6nm)is a function of the electron density and temperature,and increases dramatically as the RF power is increased.Theoretical analysis shows that TG waves are strongly damped at the plasma edge in NW and/or BC modes,while helicon waves are the dominant mechanism of power deposition or central heating of electrons in both modes.The formation of BC column mainly depends on the enhanced central electron heating by helicon waves rather than TG waves since the excitation of TG waves would be suppressed in this special anti-resonance region.展开更多
A helicon wave plasma source in a tube of ring permanent magnets(PMs)has been constructed to study the effect of the conflguration of the magnetic fleld with zero magnetic points on plasma parameters.This device also ...A helicon wave plasma source in a tube of ring permanent magnets(PMs)has been constructed to study the effect of the conflguration of the magnetic fleld with zero magnetic points on plasma parameters.This device also serves as an exploration platform for a simple,compact helicon wave plasma source adaptable to engineering applications.A small-diameter(26 mm)highdensity(~10^(18)m^(-3))blue core plasma is produced in~1 Pa argon by helicon RF(radiofrequency)discharge using a NagoyaⅢantenna under magnetic fleld(~2 k G)of compact ring PMs(length~204 mm).Operational parameters,i.e.RF power and neutral gas pressure are scanned and plasma density is measured by an RF compensated probe to explore the operating characteristics of the device.Iconic feature of a helicon discharge,such as blue core plasmas and E-H-W mode transitions are well observed in the device,despite the wavelength calculated using the conventional dispersion relation of a bounded whistler waves(Chen 1991 Plasma Phys.Control.Fusion 33339)is order of magnitudes longer than the length of the plasma in this device which seems to suggest that such helicon device is impossible.Surprisingly,the wavelength calculated by the unbounded whistle wave dispersion formula in turn suggests the occurrence of a half wavelength resonance.展开更多
In this paper, N-doped diamond-like carbon(DLC) films were deposited on silicon substrates by using helicon wave plasma chemical vapor deposition(HWP-CVD) with the Ar/CH_4/N_2 mixed gas. The surface morphology, struct...In this paper, N-doped diamond-like carbon(DLC) films were deposited on silicon substrates by using helicon wave plasma chemical vapor deposition(HWP-CVD) with the Ar/CH_4/N_2 mixed gas. The surface morphology, structural and mechanical properties of the N-doped DLC films were investigated in detail by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), Raman spectra, and atomic force microscopy(AFM). It can be observed from SEM images that surface morphology of the films become compact and uniform due to the incorporation of N. The maximum of the deposition rate of the films is 143 nm min^(-1), which is related to the high plasma density. The results of XPS show that the N incorporates in the films and the C-C sp^3 bond content increases firstly up to the maximum(20%) at 10 sccm of N_2 flow rate, and then decreases with further increase in the N_2 flow rate. The maximum Young's modulus of the films is obtained by the doping of N and reaches 80 GPa at 10 sccm of N_2 flow rate, which is measured by AFM in the scanning probe microscope mode. Meanwhile, friction characteristic of the N-doped DLC films reaches a minimum value of 0.010.展开更多
In this work we used a passive measurement method based on a high-impedance electrostatic probe and an optical emission spectroscope （OES） to investigate the characteristics of the double layer （DL） in an argon he...In this work we used a passive measurement method based on a high-impedance electrostatic probe and an optical emission spectroscope （OES） to investigate the characteristics of the double layer （DL） in an argon helicon plasma. The DL can be confirmed by a rapid change in the plasma potential along the axis. The axial potential variation of the passive measurement shows that the DL forms near a region of strong magnetic field gradient when the plasma is operated in wave- coupled mode, and the DL strength increases at higher powers in this experiment. The emission intensity of the argon atom line, which is strongly dependent on the metastable atom concentration, shows a similar spatial distribution to the plasma potential along the axis. The emission intensity of the argon atom line and the argon ion line in the DL suggests the existence of an energetic electron population upstream of the DL. The electron density upstream is much higher than that downstream, which is mainly caused by these energetic electrons.展开更多
The effect of the radial density configuration in terms of width, edge gradient and volume gradient on the wave field and energy flow in an axially uniform helicon plasma is studied in detail. A three-parameter functi...The effect of the radial density configuration in terms of width, edge gradient and volume gradient on the wave field and energy flow in an axially uniform helicon plasma is studied in detail. A three-parameter function is employed to describe the density, covering uniform,parabolic, linear and Gaussian profiles. It finds that the fraction of power deposition near the plasma edge increases with density width and edge gradient, and decays in exponential and ＂bumpon-tail＂ profiles, respectively, away from the surface. The existence of a positive second-order derivative in the volume density configuration promotes the power deposition near the plasma core, which to our best knowledge has not been pointed out before. The transverse structures of wave field and current density remain almost the same during the variation of density width and gradient, confirming the robustness of the m=1 mode observed previously. However, the structure of the electric wave field changes significantly from a uniform density configuration, for which the coupling between the Trivelpiece-Gould（TG） mode and the helicon mode is very strong, to non-uniform ones. The energy flow in the cross section of helicon plasma is presented for the first time, and behaves sensitive to the density width and edge gradient but insensitive to the volume gradient. Interestingly, the radial distribution of power deposition resembles the radial profile of the axial component of current density, suggesting the control of the power deposition profile in the experiment by particularly designing the antenna geometry to excite a required axial current distribution.展开更多
We present the axial profiles of argon helicon plasma measured by a local optical emission spectroscope(OES) and Langmuir RF-compensated probe. The results show that the emission intensity of the argon atom lines(750 ...We present the axial profiles of argon helicon plasma measured by a local optical emission spectroscope(OES) and Langmuir RF-compensated probe. The results show that the emission intensity of the argon atom lines(750 nm, 811 nm) is proportional to the plasma density determined by the Langmuir probe. The axial profile of helicon plasma depends on the discharge mode which changes with the RF power. Excited by helical antenna, the axial distribution of plasma density is similar to that of the external magnetic field in the capacitive coupled mode(E-mode). As the discharge mode changes into the inductively coupled mode(H-mode), the axial distribution of plasma density in the downstream can still be similar to that of the external magnetic field, but becomes more uniform in the upstream. When the discharge entered wave coupled mode(W-mode), the plasma becomes nearly uniform along the axis, showing a completely different profile from the magnetic field. The W-mode is expected to be a mixed pattern of helicon(H) and Trivelpiece-Gould(TG) waves.展开更多
Large area uniform plasma sources,such as high-density magnetized inductively coupled plasma(ICP)and helicon plasma,have broad applications in industry.A comprehensive comparison of ICP and helicon plasma,excited by a...Large area uniform plasma sources,such as high-density magnetized inductively coupled plasma(ICP)and helicon plasma,have broad applications in industry.A comprehensive comparison of ICP and helicon plasma,excited by a single-loop antenna,is presented in this paper from the perspectives of mode transition,hysteresis behavior,and density distribution.The E-H mode transition in ICP and the E-H-W mode transition in helicon plasma are clearly observed in the experiments.Besides,the considerable variation of hysteresis behavior from inverse hysteresis to normal hysteresis by the influence of the magnetic field is explored.The bi-Maxwellian and Maxwellian electron energy distribution functions in each discharge are used to explain this phenomenon,which is essentially related to the transition from a nonlocal kinetic property to a local kinetic property of electrons.In addition,we notice that the plasma density,in the radial direction,is peaked in the center of the tube in ICP,but a complicated distribution is formed in helicon plasma.In the axial direction,the maximum plasma density is still in the center of the antenna in ICP,whereas the highest plasma density is located downstream,far away from the antenna,in helicon plasma.It is believed that the reflected electrons in the sheath and pre-sheath by the upper metallic endplate and downstream propagated helicon wave will be responsible for this plasma density profile in helicon plasma.Due to the constrained electron motion in the magnetic field,an extremely uniform density distribution will be obtained with an appropriate axial magnetic field in the wave discharge mode.展开更多
Helicon wave plasma sources have the well-known advantages of high efficiency and high plasma density, with broad applications in many areas. The crucial mechanism lies with mode transitions, which has been an outstan...Helicon wave plasma sources have the well-known advantages of high efficiency and high plasma density, with broad applications in many areas. The crucial mechanism lies with mode transitions, which has been an outstanding issue for years. We have built a fluid simulation model and further developed the Peking University Helicon Discharge code. The mode transitions, also known as density jumps, of a single-loop antenna discharge are reproduced in simulations for the first time. It is found that large-amplitude standing helicon waves(SHWs) are responsible for the mode transitions, similar to those of a resonant cavity for laser generation.This paper intends to give a complete and quantitative SHW resonance theory to explain the relationship of the mode transitions and the SHWs. The SHW resonance theory reasonably explains several key questions in helicon plasmas, such as mode transition and efficient power absorption, and helps to improve future plasma generation methods.展开更多
The high magnetic field helicon experiment system is a helicon wave plasma（HWP）source device in a high axial magnetic field（B0）developed for plasma–wall interactions studies for fusion reactors.This HWP was reali...The high magnetic field helicon experiment system is a helicon wave plasma（HWP）source device in a high axial magnetic field（B0）developed for plasma–wall interactions studies for fusion reactors.This HWP was realized at low pressure（5×10^-3-10 Pa）and a RF（radio frequency,13.56 MHz）power（maximum power of 2 k W）using an internal right helical antenna（5 cm in diameter by 18 cm long）with a maximum B0of 6300 G.Ar HWP with electron density～10^18–10^20m^-3 and electron temperature～4–7 e V was produced at high B0 of 5100 G,with an RF power of 1500 W.Maximum Ar^＋ion flux of 7.8×10^23m^-2s^-1 with a bright blue core plasma was obtained at a high B0 of 2700 G and an RF power of 1500 W without bias.Plasma energy and mass spectrometer studies indicate that Ar^＋ ion-beams of 40.1 eV are formed,which are supersonic（～3.1cs）.The effect of Ar HWP discharge cleaning on the wall conditioning are investigated by using the mass spectrometry.And the consequent plasma parameters will result in favorable wall conditioning with a removal rate of 1.1×10^24N2/m^2 h.展开更多
The effect of neutral pressure on the blue core in Ar helicon plasma under an inhomogeneous magnetic field was investigated in this work.The neutral pressure was set to 0.08 Pa,0.36 Pa,and 0.68 Pa.A Nikon camera,inten...The effect of neutral pressure on the blue core in Ar helicon plasma under an inhomogeneous magnetic field was investigated in this work.The neutral pressure was set to 0.08 Pa,0.36 Pa,and 0.68 Pa.A Nikon camera,intensified charge-coupled device(ICCD),optical emission spectrometer(OES),and Langmuir probe were used to diagnose the blue core in helicon plasma.Helicon plasma discharges experienced density jumps from the E mode,H mode to W mode before power just rose to 200 W.The plasma density increased and maintained a central peak with the increase of neutral pressure.However,the brightness of the blue core gradually decreased.It is demonstrated that the relative intensity of Ar II spectral lines and the ionization rate in the central area were reduced.Radial electron temperature profiles were flattened and became hollow as neutral pressure increased.It is demonstrated that increasing the neutral pressure weakened the central heating efficiency dominated by the helicon wave and strengthened the edge heating efficiency governed by the TG wave and skin effect.Therefore,the present experiment successfully reveals how the neutral pressure affects the heating mechanism of helicon plasma in an inhomogeneous magnetic field.展开更多
Modification of exposure conditions downstream in the diffusion chamber has been performed in helicon antenna-excited helium plasma by adjusting the magnetic field(intensity and geometry).In the inductively coupled mo...Modification of exposure conditions downstream in the diffusion chamber has been performed in helicon antenna-excited helium plasma by adjusting the magnetic field(intensity and geometry).In the inductively coupled mode(H mode),a reduction in ion and heat fluxes is found with increasing magnetic field intensity,which is further explained by the more highly magnetized ions off-axis around the last magnetic field lines(LMFL).However,in helicon wave mode(W mode),the increase in magnetic field intensity can dramatically increase the ion and heat fluxes.Moreover,the effect of LMFL geometry on exposure conditions is investigated.In H mode with contracting LMFL,off-axis peaks of both plasma density and electron temperature profiles shift radially inwards,bringing about a beam with better radial uniformity and higher ion and heat fluxes.In W mode,although higher ion and heat fluxes can be achieved with suppressed plasma cross-field diffusion under converging LMFL,the poor radial uniformity and a small beam diameter will limit the size of samples suitable for plasma irradiation experiments.展开更多
This paper deals with the investigation of the power absorption in helicon plasma excited through a half-helix antenna driven at 13.56 MHz. The simulations were carried out by means of a code,HELIC. They were carried ...This paper deals with the investigation of the power absorption in helicon plasma excited through a half-helix antenna driven at 13.56 MHz. The simulations were carried out by means of a code,HELIC. They were carried out by taking into account different inhomogeneous radial density profiles and for a wide range of plasma densities, from 10^（11） cm^（-3） to 10^（13） cm^（-3）. The magnetic field was 200, 400, 600 and 1000 G. A three-parameter function was used for generating various density profiles with different volume gradients, edge gradients and density widths. The density profile had a large effect on the efficient Trivelpiece–Gould（TG） and helicon mode excitation and antenna coupling to the plasma. The fraction of power deposition via the TG mode was extremely dependent on the plasma density near the plasma boundary. Interestingly, the obtained efficient parallel helicon wavelength was close to the anticipated value for Gaussian radial density profile.Power deposition was considerably asymmetric when the n/B_0 ratio was more than a specific value for a determined density width. The longitudinal power absorption was symmetric at approximately n_0 =10^（11） cm^（-3）, irrespective of the magnetic field supposed. The asymmetry became more pronounced when the plasma density was 10^（12） cm^（-3）. The ratio of density width to the magnetic field was an important parameter in the power coupling. At high magnetic fields, the maximum of the power absorption was reached at higher plasma density widths. There was at least one combination of the plasma density, magnetic field and density width for which the RF power deposition at both side of the tube reached its maximum value.展开更多
Helicon discharges have attracted great attention in the electric propulsion community in recent years. To acquire the equilibrium properties, a self-consistent model is developed, which combines the helicon/Trivelpie...Helicon discharges have attracted great attention in the electric propulsion community in recent years. To acquire the equilibrium properties, a self-consistent model is developed, which combines the helicon/Trivelpiece-Gould （TG） waves- plasma interaction mechanism and the plasma flow theory under the confinement of the magnetic field. The calculations reproduce the central peak density phenomenon observed in the experiments. The results show that when operating in the wave coupling mode, high magnetic field strength B0 results in the deviation of the central density versus B0 from the linear relationship, while the density rise becomes flatter as the radiofrequency （rf） input power Prf grows, and the electron temperature Te radial profile is mainly determined by the characteristic of the rf energy deposition. The model could provide suggestions in choosing the B0 and Prf for medium power helicon thrusters.展开更多
A new type of hybrid discharge is experimentally investigated in this work. A helicon source and an electron cyclotron resonance（ECR） source were combined to produce plasma. As a preliminary study of this type of pl...A new type of hybrid discharge is experimentally investigated in this work. A helicon source and an electron cyclotron resonance（ECR） source were combined to produce plasma. As a preliminary study of this type of plasma, the optical emission spectroscopy（OES） method was used to obtain values of electron temperature and density under a series of typical conditions. Generally,it was observed that the electron temperature decreases and the electron density increases as the pressure increased. When increasing the applied power at a certain pressure, the average electron density at certain positions in the discharge does not increase significantly possibly due to the high degree of neutral depletion. Electron temperature increased with power in the hybrid mode.Possible mechanisms of these preliminary observations are discussed.展开更多
The modulation of absorption manner in helicon discharge by changing the profile of low axial magnetic field is explored experimentally in this work. The experiments are carried out in Boswell-type antenna driven by 1...The modulation of absorption manner in helicon discharge by changing the profile of low axial magnetic field is explored experimentally in this work. The experiments are carried out in Boswell-type antenna driven by 13.56-MHz power source in 0.35-Pa argon environment. The peak of the external non-uniform magnetic field （Bex） along the axis is observed in a range from 0 Gs to 250 Gs （1 Gs=10^-4 T）, where the electron density varies from 0.5×10^16 m^-3 to 9×10^16 m^-3. When Bex is located near the tube upper end sealed by a dielectric plate, or near the tube bottom end connected with a diffusion chamber, the plasmas are centralized in the tube in the former case while the strong luminance appears between the edge of the tube and the axial line in the latter case. When Bex is located in the middle of the antenna, moreover, an effective resistance （Reff） peak appears apparently with increasing magnetic field. The glow moves toward first the edge of the tube and then the two antenna legs as the magnetic field increases. The discharge in this case is caused by the absorption of Trivelpiece-Gould （TG） wave. It is suggested that Bex is located in the middle of the antenna to obtain a higher efficiency of power transfer.展开更多
A one-dimensional radial non-uniform fluid model is employed to study plasma behaviors with special emphasis laid on helicon discharges. The plasma density ne, electron temperature Te, electron azimuthal and radial dr...A one-dimensional radial non-uniform fluid model is employed to study plasma behaviors with special emphasis laid on helicon discharges. The plasma density ne, electron temperature Te, electron azimuthal and radial drift velocities are investigated in terms of the plasma radius rp, magnetic field intensity B0 and gas pressure p0, by assuming radial ambipolar diffusion and negligible ion cyclotron movement. The results show that the magnetic confinement plays an important role in the discharge equilibrium, especially at low pressure, which significantly reduces Te compared with the case of a negligible magnetic field effect, and higher B0 leads to a greater average plasma density. Te shows little variations in the plasma density range of 1011 cm-3- 1013 cm-3 for p0 〈 3.0 mTorr. Comparison of the simulation results with experiments suggests that the model can make reasonable predictions of Te in low pressure helicon discharges.展开更多
A program is developed to calculate the ion energy distributions （IEDs） of Ar2^＋ making use of a simplified kinetic model with a combination of Monte Carlo method. Several coefficients are used to realize good matc...A program is developed to calculate the ion energy distributions （IEDs） of Ar2^＋ making use of a simplified kinetic model with a combination of Monte Carlo method. Several coefficients are used to realize good match between the calculated and measured results. Some important assumptions are confirmed： argon excimer ions have short lifetime, hence they are formed in a short range before the collecting electrode. The excimer ions that encounter collisions will be discarded because they turn to other ion species after they collide with argon atoms. From the calculated results some plasma parameters such as the cross section or neutral density in discharge could be evaluated.展开更多
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2022YFE03100002)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.12435015 and 12075241)。
文摘This article presents the physics for determining an appropriate helicon plasma source for the linear experimental advanced device(LEAD)through tripartite mutual verification encompassing theoretical analysis,code simulation,and experimental validation.Using the HELIC code,plasma excitation processes were simulated with three antenna configurations:m=1 half-helix,m=1 Boswell,and m=0 single-loop helicon antennas,and complemented by theoretical analysis.Key parameters including plasma impedance(R_(p))and energy deposition profiles along radial(P_(r))and axial(P_(z))directions were comparatively analyzed,revealing significantly enhanced R_(p),P_(r),and P_(z) values for the loop antenna configuration as compared with other configurations.Wave propagation equation solutions predicted a primary plasma generation layer at the antenna center;numerical simulations identified an additional plasma formation region at the antenna boundary,indicative of edge Landau damping effects.Interestingly,stronger axial magnetic fields do not necessarily result in higher plasma densities,especially for m=0 antenna configurations.Experimental validation conducted with an m=0 multi-loop plasma source confirmed these findings.Both theoretical analyses and experimental studies on large-volume plasma generation utilizing this innovative source elucidated the underlying mechanisms responsible for the remarkable low mode transition threshold of 150-watt input power and demonstrated significantly enhanced plasma confinement properties.
基金sponsored by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Nos.2020YFC2201100 and 2021YFE0116000)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.12175032,12102082,12275044,52372373 and 12211530449)+4 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Nos.DUT22GF305 and DUT22QN232)S&T Program of Hebei Province(Nos.YCYZ202201 and 216Z1901G)S&T Innovation Program of Hebei Province(Nos.SJMYF2022X18 and SJMYF2022X 06)Beijing Nova Program(No.20240484718)Langfang Science and Technology Program(No.2022011039).
文摘A new magnetic field configuration is proposed by introducing a cusped field to the helicon plasma thruster(HPT),and the effects of the cusped field on the discharge characteristics of the HPT are investigated.The experimental results show that the thruster can still achieve a stable W mode discharge with the additional cusped field,while the discharge conditions have been changed so that a higher RF power is required to achieve the W mode under the same experimental conditions.However,the ion density in the plume region is increased by at least one order of magnitude and the ion flux density is increased by a factor of 4 to 5.The ionization enhancement is attributed to the change in magnetic field configuration,which improves the energy coupling efficiency and the ability to confine charged particles(particularly electrons).This magnetic confinement could employ more electrons to ionize the working medium atoms,and the ionization rate is enhanced.The increase in ion density leads to a reduction in the energy available for ion acceleration,resulting in a slight decrease in ion energy.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.92271113)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant No.2022CDJQY-003)+1 种基金Chongqing Entrepreneurship and Innovation Support Program for Overseas Returnees(Grant No.CX2022004)the Fund from Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Space Engine(Grant No.17DZ2280800).
文摘This paper deals with wave propagation and power coupling in blue-core helicon plasma driven by various antennas and frequencies.It is found that compared to non-blue-core mode,for blue-core mode,the wave can propagate in the core region,and it decays sharply outside the core.The power absorption is lower and steeper in radius for blue-core mode.Regarding the effects of antenna geometry for blue-core mode,it shows that half helix antenna yields the strongest wave field and power absorption,while loop antenna yields the lowest.Moreover,near axis,for antennas with m=+1,the wave field increases with axial distance.In the core region,the wave number approaches to a saturation value at much lower frequency for non-blue-core mode compared to blue-core mode.The total loading resistance is much lower for blue-core mode.These findings are valuable to understanding the physics of blue-core helicon discharge and optimizing the experimental performance of blue-core helicon plasma sources for applications such as space propulsion and material treatment.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.11975047)。
文摘In this work,we investigated the discharge characteristics and heating mechanisms of argon helicon plasma in different wave coupled modes with and without blue core.Spatially resolved spectroscopy and emission intensity of argon atom and ion lines were measured via local optical emission spectroscopy,and electron density was measured experimentally by an RFcompensated Langmuir probe.The relation between the emission intensity and the electron density was obtained and the wavenumbers of helicon and’Trivelpiece-Gould’(TG)waves were calculated by solving the dispersion relation in wave modes.The results show that at least two distinct wave coupled modes appear in argon helicon plasma at increasing RF power,i.e.blue core(or BC)mode with a significant bright core of blue lights and a normal wave(NW)mode without blue core.The emission intensity of atom line 750.5 nm(lArⅠ750.5nm)is related to the electron density and tends to be saturated in wave coupled modes due to the neutral depletion,while the intensity of ion line 480.6 nm(IArⅡ480.6nm)is a function of the electron density and temperature,and increases dramatically as the RF power is increased.Theoretical analysis shows that TG waves are strongly damped at the plasma edge in NW and/or BC modes,while helicon waves are the dominant mechanism of power deposition or central heating of electrons in both modes.The formation of BC column mainly depends on the enhanced central electron heating by helicon waves rather than TG waves since the excitation of TG waves would be suppressed in this special anti-resonance region.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.U19A20113)。
文摘A helicon wave plasma source in a tube of ring permanent magnets(PMs)has been constructed to study the effect of the conflguration of the magnetic fleld with zero magnetic points on plasma parameters.This device also serves as an exploration platform for a simple,compact helicon wave plasma source adaptable to engineering applications.A small-diameter(26 mm)highdensity(~10^(18)m^(-3))blue core plasma is produced in~1 Pa argon by helicon RF(radiofrequency)discharge using a NagoyaⅢantenna under magnetic fleld(~2 k G)of compact ring PMs(length~204 mm).Operational parameters,i.e.RF power and neutral gas pressure are scanned and plasma density is measured by an RF compensated probe to explore the operating characteristics of the device.Iconic feature of a helicon discharge,such as blue core plasmas and E-H-W mode transitions are well observed in the device,despite the wavelength calculated using the conventional dispersion relation of a bounded whistler waves(Chen 1991 Plasma Phys.Control.Fusion 33339)is order of magnitudes longer than the length of the plasma in this device which seems to suggest that such helicon device is impossible.Surprisingly,the wavelength calculated by the unbounded whistle wave dispersion formula in turn suggests the occurrence of a half wavelength resonance.
基金supported by the National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Science Program of China (Grant Nos. 2014GB106005 and 2014GB106000)National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 11505123,11435009,11375126)Project funded by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 156455)
文摘In this paper, N-doped diamond-like carbon(DLC) films were deposited on silicon substrates by using helicon wave plasma chemical vapor deposition(HWP-CVD) with the Ar/CH_4/N_2 mixed gas. The surface morphology, structural and mechanical properties of the N-doped DLC films were investigated in detail by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), Raman spectra, and atomic force microscopy(AFM). It can be observed from SEM images that surface morphology of the films become compact and uniform due to the incorporation of N. The maximum of the deposition rate of the films is 143 nm min^(-1), which is related to the high plasma density. The results of XPS show that the N incorporates in the films and the C-C sp^3 bond content increases firstly up to the maximum(20%) at 10 sccm of N_2 flow rate, and then decreases with further increase in the N_2 flow rate. The maximum Young's modulus of the films is obtained by the doping of N and reaches 80 GPa at 10 sccm of N_2 flow rate, which is measured by AFM in the scanning probe microscope mode. Meanwhile, friction characteristic of the N-doped DLC films reaches a minimum value of 0.010.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.11475131)
文摘In this work we used a passive measurement method based on a high-impedance electrostatic probe and an optical emission spectroscope （OES） to investigate the characteristics of the double layer （DL） in an argon helicon plasma. The DL can be confirmed by a rapid change in the plasma potential along the axis. The axial potential variation of the passive measurement shows that the DL forms near a region of strong magnetic field gradient when the plasma is operated in wave- coupled mode, and the DL strength increases at higher powers in this experiment. The emission intensity of the argon atom line, which is strongly dependent on the metastable atom concentration, shows a similar spatial distribution to the plasma potential along the axis. The emission intensity of the argon atom line and the argon ion line in the DL suggests the existence of an energetic electron population upstream of the DL. The electron density upstream is much higher than that downstream, which is mainly caused by these energetic electrons.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.11405271)
文摘The effect of the radial density configuration in terms of width, edge gradient and volume gradient on the wave field and energy flow in an axially uniform helicon plasma is studied in detail. A three-parameter function is employed to describe the density, covering uniform,parabolic, linear and Gaussian profiles. It finds that the fraction of power deposition near the plasma edge increases with density width and edge gradient, and decays in exponential and ＂bumpon-tail＂ profiles, respectively, away from the surface. The existence of a positive second-order derivative in the volume density configuration promotes the power deposition near the plasma core, which to our best knowledge has not been pointed out before. The transverse structures of wave field and current density remain almost the same during the variation of density width and gradient, confirming the robustness of the m=1 mode observed previously. However, the structure of the electric wave field changes significantly from a uniform density configuration, for which the coupling between the Trivelpiece-Gould（TG） mode and the helicon mode is very strong, to non-uniform ones. The energy flow in the cross section of helicon plasma is presented for the first time, and behaves sensitive to the density width and edge gradient but insensitive to the volume gradient. Interestingly, the radial distribution of power deposition resembles the radial profile of the axial component of current density, suggesting the control of the power deposition profile in the experiment by particularly designing the antenna geometry to excite a required axial current distribution.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 11475131, 11805011)
文摘We present the axial profiles of argon helicon plasma measured by a local optical emission spectroscope(OES) and Langmuir RF-compensated probe. The results show that the emission intensity of the argon atom lines(750 nm, 811 nm) is proportional to the plasma density determined by the Langmuir probe. The axial profile of helicon plasma depends on the discharge mode which changes with the RF power. Excited by helical antenna, the axial distribution of plasma density is similar to that of the external magnetic field in the capacitive coupled mode(E-mode). As the discharge mode changes into the inductively coupled mode(H-mode), the axial distribution of plasma density in the downstream can still be similar to that of the external magnetic field, but becomes more uniform in the upstream. When the discharge entered wave coupled mode(W-mode), the plasma becomes nearly uniform along the axis, showing a completely different profile from the magnetic field. The W-mode is expected to be a mixed pattern of helicon(H) and Trivelpiece-Gould(TG) waves.
基金This study was partly supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.11975047)。
文摘Large area uniform plasma sources,such as high-density magnetized inductively coupled plasma(ICP)and helicon plasma,have broad applications in industry.A comprehensive comparison of ICP and helicon plasma,excited by a single-loop antenna,is presented in this paper from the perspectives of mode transition,hysteresis behavior,and density distribution.The E-H mode transition in ICP and the E-H-W mode transition in helicon plasma are clearly observed in the experiments.Besides,the considerable variation of hysteresis behavior from inverse hysteresis to normal hysteresis by the influence of the magnetic field is explored.The bi-Maxwellian and Maxwellian electron energy distribution functions in each discharge are used to explain this phenomenon,which is essentially related to the transition from a nonlocal kinetic property to a local kinetic property of electrons.In addition,we notice that the plasma density,in the radial direction,is peaked in the center of the tube in ICP,but a complicated distribution is formed in helicon plasma.In the axial direction,the maximum plasma density is still in the center of the antenna in ICP,whereas the highest plasma density is located downstream,far away from the antenna,in helicon plasma.It is believed that the reflected electrons in the sheath and pre-sheath by the upper metallic endplate and downstream propagated helicon wave will be responsible for this plasma density profile in helicon plasma.Due to the constrained electron motion in the magnetic field,an extremely uniform density distribution will be obtained with an appropriate axial magnetic field in the wave discharge mode.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2017YFE0301201)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.11975038)the funding support from the State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology,Peking University(No.NPT2021ZZ03)。
文摘Helicon wave plasma sources have the well-known advantages of high efficiency and high plasma density, with broad applications in many areas. The crucial mechanism lies with mode transitions, which has been an outstanding issue for years. We have built a fluid simulation model and further developed the Peking University Helicon Discharge code. The mode transitions, also known as density jumps, of a single-loop antenna discharge are reproduced in simulations for the first time. It is found that large-amplitude standing helicon waves(SHWs) are responsible for the mode transitions, similar to those of a resonant cavity for laser generation.This paper intends to give a complete and quantitative SHW resonance theory to explain the relationship of the mode transitions and the SHWs. The SHW resonance theory reasonably explains several key questions in helicon plasmas, such as mode transition and efficient power absorption, and helps to improve future plasma generation methods.
基金supported by the National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Science Program of China(Grant Nos.2014GB106005 and 2010GB106000)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.11505123 11435009 11375126)a Project funded by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.156455)
文摘The high magnetic field helicon experiment system is a helicon wave plasma（HWP）source device in a high axial magnetic field（B0）developed for plasma–wall interactions studies for fusion reactors.This HWP was realized at low pressure（5×10^-3-10 Pa）and a RF（radio frequency,13.56 MHz）power（maximum power of 2 k W）using an internal right helical antenna（5 cm in diameter by 18 cm long）with a maximum B0of 6300 G.Ar HWP with electron density～10^18–10^20m^-3 and electron temperature～4–7 e V was produced at high B0 of 5100 G,with an RF power of 1500 W.Maximum Ar^＋ion flux of 7.8×10^23m^-2s^-1 with a bright blue core plasma was obtained at a high B0 of 2700 G and an RF power of 1500 W without bias.Plasma energy and mass spectrometer studies indicate that Ar^＋ ion-beams of 40.1 eV are formed,which are supersonic（～3.1cs）.The effect of Ar HWP discharge cleaning on the wall conditioning are investigated by using the mass spectrometry.And the consequent plasma parameters will result in favorable wall conditioning with a removal rate of 1.1×10^24N2/m^2 h.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.11505013 and 11875090)Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation(No.1192008)Beijing Municipal Commission of Education(Nos.KM202010015003,22150122029,and 202210015017)。
文摘The effect of neutral pressure on the blue core in Ar helicon plasma under an inhomogeneous magnetic field was investigated in this work.The neutral pressure was set to 0.08 Pa,0.36 Pa,and 0.68 Pa.A Nikon camera,intensified charge-coupled device(ICCD),optical emission spectrometer(OES),and Langmuir probe were used to diagnose the blue core in helicon plasma.Helicon plasma discharges experienced density jumps from the E mode,H mode to W mode before power just rose to 200 W.The plasma density increased and maintained a central peak with the increase of neutral pressure.However,the brightness of the blue core gradually decreased.It is demonstrated that the relative intensity of Ar II spectral lines and the ionization rate in the central area were reduced.Radial electron temperature profiles were flattened and became hollow as neutral pressure increased.It is demonstrated that increasing the neutral pressure weakened the central heating efficiency dominated by the helicon wave and strengthened the edge heating efficiency governed by the TG wave and skin effect.Therefore,the present experiment successfully reveals how the neutral pressure affects the heating mechanism of helicon plasma in an inhomogeneous magnetic field.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.11975163)the Shenzhen Clean Energy Research Institute
文摘Modification of exposure conditions downstream in the diffusion chamber has been performed in helicon antenna-excited helium plasma by adjusting the magnetic field(intensity and geometry).In the inductively coupled mode(H mode),a reduction in ion and heat fluxes is found with increasing magnetic field intensity,which is further explained by the more highly magnetized ions off-axis around the last magnetic field lines(LMFL).However,in helicon wave mode(W mode),the increase in magnetic field intensity can dramatically increase the ion and heat fluxes.Moreover,the effect of LMFL geometry on exposure conditions is investigated.In H mode with contracting LMFL,off-axis peaks of both plasma density and electron temperature profiles shift radially inwards,bringing about a beam with better radial uniformity and higher ion and heat fluxes.In W mode,although higher ion and heat fluxes can be achieved with suppressed plasma cross-field diffusion under converging LMFL,the poor radial uniformity and a small beam diameter will limit the size of samples suitable for plasma irradiation experiments.
文摘This paper deals with the investigation of the power absorption in helicon plasma excited through a half-helix antenna driven at 13.56 MHz. The simulations were carried out by means of a code,HELIC. They were carried out by taking into account different inhomogeneous radial density profiles and for a wide range of plasma densities, from 10^（11） cm^（-3） to 10^（13） cm^（-3）. The magnetic field was 200, 400, 600 and 1000 G. A three-parameter function was used for generating various density profiles with different volume gradients, edge gradients and density widths. The density profile had a large effect on the efficient Trivelpiece–Gould（TG） and helicon mode excitation and antenna coupling to the plasma. The fraction of power deposition via the TG mode was extremely dependent on the plasma density near the plasma boundary. Interestingly, the obtained efficient parallel helicon wavelength was close to the anticipated value for Gaussian radial density profile.Power deposition was considerably asymmetric when the n/B_0 ratio was more than a specific value for a determined density width. The longitudinal power absorption was symmetric at approximately n_0 =10^（11） cm^（-3）, irrespective of the magnetic field supposed. The asymmetry became more pronounced when the plasma density was 10^（12） cm^（-3）. The ratio of density width to the magnetic field was an important parameter in the power coupling. At high magnetic fields, the maximum of the power absorption was reached at higher plasma density widths. There was at least one combination of the plasma density, magnetic field and density width for which the RF power deposition at both side of the tube reached its maximum value.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.11305265)
文摘Helicon discharges have attracted great attention in the electric propulsion community in recent years. To acquire the equilibrium properties, a self-consistent model is developed, which combines the helicon/Trivelpiece-Gould （TG） waves- plasma interaction mechanism and the plasma flow theory under the confinement of the magnetic field. The calculations reproduce the central peak density phenomenon observed in the experiments. The results show that when operating in the wave coupling mode, high magnetic field strength B0 results in the deviation of the central density versus B0 from the linear relationship, while the density rise becomes flatter as the radiofrequency （rf） input power Prf grows, and the electron temperature Te radial profile is mainly determined by the characteristic of the rf energy deposition. The model could provide suggestions in choosing the B0 and Prf for medium power helicon thrusters.
文摘A new type of hybrid discharge is experimentally investigated in this work. A helicon source and an electron cyclotron resonance（ECR） source were combined to produce plasma. As a preliminary study of this type of plasma, the optical emission spectroscopy（OES） method was used to obtain values of electron temperature and density under a series of typical conditions. Generally,it was observed that the electron temperature decreases and the electron density increases as the pressure increased. When increasing the applied power at a certain pressure, the average electron density at certain positions in the discharge does not increase significantly possibly due to the high degree of neutral depletion. Electron temperature increased with power in the hybrid mode.Possible mechanisms of these preliminary observations are discussed.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11175024,11375031,and 11505013)the Beijing Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.KZ201510015014)the Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation,China(Grant No.4162024)
文摘The modulation of absorption manner in helicon discharge by changing the profile of low axial magnetic field is explored experimentally in this work. The experiments are carried out in Boswell-type antenna driven by 13.56-MHz power source in 0.35-Pa argon environment. The peak of the external non-uniform magnetic field （Bex） along the axis is observed in a range from 0 Gs to 250 Gs （1 Gs=10^-4 T）, where the electron density varies from 0.5×10^16 m^-3 to 9×10^16 m^-3. When Bex is located near the tube upper end sealed by a dielectric plate, or near the tube bottom end connected with a diffusion chamber, the plasmas are centralized in the tube in the former case while the strong luminance appears between the edge of the tube and the axial line in the latter case. When Bex is located in the middle of the antenna, moreover, an effective resistance （Reff） peak appears apparently with increasing magnetic field. The glow moves toward first the edge of the tube and then the two antenna legs as the magnetic field increases. The discharge in this case is caused by the absorption of Trivelpiece-Gould （TG） wave. It is suggested that Bex is located in the middle of the antenna to obtain a higher efficiency of power transfer.
文摘A one-dimensional radial non-uniform fluid model is employed to study plasma behaviors with special emphasis laid on helicon discharges. The plasma density ne, electron temperature Te, electron azimuthal and radial drift velocities are investigated in terms of the plasma radius rp, magnetic field intensity B0 and gas pressure p0, by assuming radial ambipolar diffusion and negligible ion cyclotron movement. The results show that the magnetic confinement plays an important role in the discharge equilibrium, especially at low pressure, which significantly reduces Te compared with the case of a negligible magnetic field effect, and higher B0 leads to a greater average plasma density. Te shows little variations in the plasma density range of 1011 cm-3- 1013 cm-3 for p0 〈 3.0 mTorr. Comparison of the simulation results with experiments suggests that the model can make reasonable predictions of Te in low pressure helicon discharges.
文摘A program is developed to calculate the ion energy distributions （IEDs） of Ar2^＋ making use of a simplified kinetic model with a combination of Monte Carlo method. Several coefficients are used to realize good match between the calculated and measured results. Some important assumptions are confirmed： argon excimer ions have short lifetime, hence they are formed in a short range before the collecting electrode. The excimer ions that encounter collisions will be discarded because they turn to other ion species after they collide with argon atoms. From the calculated results some plasma parameters such as the cross section or neutral density in discharge could be evaluated.
