Plasma Physics: A short overview

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Plasma Physics A short overview
Wim Goedheer Hugo de Blank FOM-Instituut voor
Plasmafysica Rijnhuizen Nieuwegein
(www.rijnhuizen.nl) E-mail W.J.Goedheer_at_rijnhuize
n.nl H.J.deBlank_at_rijnhuizen.nl Course
material can be found at (http//www.rijnhuizen.
nl)(onderzoek) (computational plasma
physics) (plasma physics course)

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What is a plasma?- fourth state of matter

• Needed heating of free electrons
• DC or AC (waves) electric fields
• Shock waves
• Injection of fast particles
• .

Solid
melting
fluid
evaporation
Gas
Increasing temperature
ionization
Plasma
A e ? A 2e AB e ? A B
2e ? AB 2e Also reverse
reactions Chemical (non)equilibrium
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Where do we find plasma 1. Astrophysical objects
The sun (SOHO _at_ 304 Å)
Orion nebula (HUBBLE)
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Where do we find plasma 2. In the atmosphere
Lightning
http//www.piedmontamateurastronomers.com
Sprites, elves and blue jets
http//www.albany.edu
Aurora borealis
http//www.geo.mtu.edu
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Where do we find plasma 3. Man made a) plasma
processing of materials
http//www.phys.tue.nl/EPG
http//www.etp.phys.tue.nl/
Equipment for plasma etching and deposition of
thin layers
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Where do we find plasma 3. Man made b) Lighting
Various types of lamps, operating at high or low
pressure
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Where do we find plasma 3. Man made c) plasma
display panel
Typical size 100 mm
plasma display panel. Art. Retrieved January 
31,  2007, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online
http//www.britannica.com/eb/art-67339
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Where do we find plasma 3. Man made d) fusion
plasmas
?2 m
A view inside the vacuum vessel of JET,
without and with plasma. The light shows
recycling zones
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Parameters density and temperature
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Research at the University of Utrecht solar cells
Plasma deposition of amorphous (a-SiH)
and nanocrystalline (nc-SiH) thin film solar
cells
SiH4 e ? SiH3 H e (dissociation,
creation of radicals) 2SiH3 surface ? 2Si
3H2 (Si sticks to surface, H2 desorbs)
(some H in material (10)
passivates dangling bonds
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Production of solar cells on flexible
foil Helianthos project Collaboration of (a.o.)
UU, TU/e, TUDelft, TNO, NUON
http//www.novem.nl
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A promising future application energy from fusion
D T ? He (3.5 MeV) n (14.1 MeV)
Required 100-200 million K 2 -
3 x 1020 m-3 Magnetic confinement
The Tokamak a giant transformer Plasma (in
vacuumchamber) is secondary winding
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JET The largest Tokamak in the world (since 1983)
Some JET parameters Major radius 2.96m Minor
radius 2.10 x 1.25m Pulse duration 60s Toroidal
B field 3.45T Plasma current 3 - 7MA
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ITER The road to new energy first plasma 2018
Joint project of EU, US, Russia, Japan, India,
P.R. China, S.Korea To be built in Cadarache,
France
Power production 500 MW ? 10x input
Some ITER parameters Major radius 6.2m Minor
radius 3.4 x 2m Pulse duration 400s Toroidal B
field 5.3T Plasma current 15MA
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Fusion plasma research at Rijnhuizen

• Topics Electron cyclotron heating and current
  drive
• Diagnostics Charge exchange spectroscopy
• Electron Cyclotron Emission
  spectroscopy
• Tokamak Transport simulations of discharge
  behaviour
• Collaborations on ASDEX-Upgrade (Garching (D))
  and JET (Culham (GB))
• New research programme Burning plasma in ITER
• Control (Instabilities due to fast a particles)
• Diagnostics (a particles)
• Plasma Surface Interaction and plasma edge
  instabilities

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Where low and high temperature plasma
meet plasma-surface interaction in fusion devices

• Fusion reactions produce helium must be removed
• Needed controlled cool-down of edge plasma
  plasma ? gas
• This is established in a special section
  divertor
• Harsh conditions
• 1-2x104 K, 1024 ions m-2s-1, 10 MWm-2
• Cannot be reached in present-day
• tokamaks
• New research line at Rijnhuizen
• MAGNUM-psi

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Pilot-psi
Magnum-psi
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What will this course on plasma physics bring you
(I)

• First part of the course (8 lectures)
• ? Basic plasma physics (with emphasis on
  magnetized plasmas)
• - properties
• - particle motion in E and B fields
• - plasma as a fluid
• - waves
• - magneto-hydrodynamics
• Ends with midterm examination (open book)
• Exercises Mandatory, provide basis for midterm
  examination
• The Monday-afternoon timeslot Will be used if
  necessary
• For explanation / solving problems with
  exercises
• In principle only on demand
• Question hour for midterm examination

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What will this course on plasma physics bring you
(II)

• Second part of the course
• ? Advanced plasma physics
• - fusion and tokamak physics
• - plasma chemistry
• - capita selecta (dusty plasma, plasma-surface
  interaction ,)
• Exercises
• - Each item will be accompanied with one or two
  exercises
• ? Excursion to Rijnhuizen (on a Monday afternoon)
• Possible choices
• - To match the material with your main interest
  (CP, EP,
• theory, astrophysics) you have a choice
  regarding the
• items for the final (oral) examination. A CP
  package
• could for instance consist of fusion basics,
  plasma chemistry,
• and diagnostics relevant for
  plasmachemical applications)
• Packages will be defined later
  (depend a.o. on capita selecta)