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Updated: Jun 7, 2026

An Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Setup to Investigate the Reactive Species Formation
Published on: November 3, 2016
A compact and continuously driven supersonic plasma and neutral source.
T Asai1, H Itagaki, H Numasawa
1Department of Physics, College of Science and Technology, Nihon University, Tokyo 101-8308, Japan. asai.tomohiko@nihon-u.ac.jp
A new magnetized coaxial plasma gun (MCPG) offers deep neutral flux penetration for advanced diagnostics. This compact, high-frequency plasma source achieves helium-plasmoid velocities up to 20 km/s.
Area of Science:
- Plasma Physics
- Accelerator Technology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Diagnostics requiring deep neutral flux penetration are crucial in various scientific fields.
- Existing plasma sources may lack the necessary penetration depth or repetitive capabilities.
- Magnetized coaxial plasma guns (MCPGs) offer a potential solution for generating high-flux plasma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a compact and repetitively driven plasma source for diagnostics.
- To achieve deep neutral flux penetration using a magnetized coaxial plasma gun.
- To characterize the performance of the developed plasma source.
Main Methods:
- Development of a compact magnetized coaxial plasma gun (MCPG) with a DN16 ConFlat connection.
- Integration of an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) inverter power unit capable of high-frequency switching.
- Utilizing multiple short-duration discharge pulses to maximize plasmoid acceleration efficiency.
Main Results:
- A compact and repetitively driven plasma source was successfully developed.
- The system operates with an IGBT inverter power unit, switching up to 10 kV and 600 A.
- A maximum repetitive frequency of 10 kHz was achieved.
- Helium-plasmoids reached velocities in the range of 20 km/s at 10 kHz operation.
Conclusions:
- The developed MCPG is a viable solution for diagnostics requiring deep neutral flux penetration.
- The compact and high-frequency plasma source demonstrates efficient plasmoid acceleration.
- This technology enables advanced plasma-based diagnostics and research applications.
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