Hefei utility negative ions test equipment with RF source:commissioning and first results

In order to study the key technology and physics of RF driven negative ion source for neutral beam injector in China, the Hefei utility negative ions test equipment with RF source was developed at Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences（ASIPP）. Its negative ion source can be equipped with single or double RF drivers. There is a plasma expansion chamber with depth of 19 mm and an enhanced filter field. A three electrodes negative ion accelerator was employed to extract and accelerate the negative ions, which are plasma grid,extraction grid and ground grid. And there are several diagnostic tools for the plasma and beam parameters measurement. The characteristics of plasma generation, negative ion production and extraction were studied on the test equipment. The negative ion beam was extracted from the RF driven negative ion source for the first time. The detailed structure and main results are presented in this article.

Photo-Catalyzed Rare Earth Materials with Ability to Translate Free Radicals into Negative Ions

Materials with function of producing negative ions effection,containing valency-variable rare earth elements and semiconductor oxide,were fabricated.Free radicals produced by the materials were tested.The result shows that the materials can produce quite a few free radicals as·O^-_2 no matter whether they are under illumination of ultraviolet radiation or under visible light radiation,or under no light radiation, demonstrating semiconductor oxide can be catalysed under the visible light radiation.At the same time the result shows there is direct relation between the number of free radicals and of the negative ion produced by the materials,which meant that during photo-catalyzed and redox process of valency-variable rare earth elements free radicals translate into negative ions. A circular model is presented involving circulating change of valency-variable rare earth elements and water and oxygen absorbed on the surface of materials under the condition of photocatalysis.

Transmission of 18 keV negative ions Cl^-through nanocapillariesin Al_2O_3 membrane

We investigate the angular distribution of the transmitted 18keV negative ions Cl- through Al2O3 nanocapillaries of 50 nm in diameter and 10 μm in length. Elastic scattering ions and inelastic scattering ions are obtained simultaneously. The experimental result is partially consistent with the guiding effect. We can qualitatively explain our experimental result through a dynamic process.

An Obliquely Propagating Electromagnetic Lower-Hybrid-Drift Instability in Plasmas with Negative Ions

In this study, by employing a local fluid theory for warm plasma containing negative ions, an obliquely propagating electromagnetic instability in the lower hybrid frequency range driven by cross-field currents or relative drifts between electrons and ions was investigated. It is found that the growth rate of the lower-hybrid-drift instability （LHDI） can be controlled by appropriate selection of the propagation direction, the wave number and the relative population of the negative ions.

Episodes of thoron exposure due to consumer products claiming health benefits of negative ions

In May 2018,the primetime news casted a shocking report saying that radon concentration on a certain model of bed mattress found to be as high as 2200 Bq/m3.After a humble,the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission(NSSC)of Korea confirmed that significant amount of thoron gas is emanated from several mattress models marketed by a company claiming beneficial health effects of negative ions.Laboratory analysis showed that some internal fabric sheets of those mattresses contain high concentration of Th-232.It was revealed that the manufacture treated the material with so-called‘negative ion powder’procured from the market and NSSC found that its radioactive content is the monazite powder.Although measurements with reliable instruments resulted in somewhat lower values,the tentative but conservative estimates of doses to the users are still remarkable,ranging from a few to 14 mSv a year.Most of the affected models have been marketed from 2010 but earlier models,with lower thorium content,were supplied from 2006.As many as 88,000 mattresses have been produced.The manufacturer with help of the government,recalled all the affected models and separated the radioactive internals.A large amount of waste is waiting for the government decision on disposal method.Similar problems were identified in other consumer products including latex mattresses and pillows imported,hot pads,and several models of sanitary or health-aid goods.These episodes called for revisiting NORM control strategy in Korea.

Ion-Beam-Induced Luminescence of LiF Using Negative Ions

Negative ion-beam-induced luminescence (IBIL) measurements of a pure LiF crystal using 20 keV are performed to monitor the formation and annihilation of luminescence centers during ion irradiation. Several emission bands are observed in the IBIL spectra and the evolvement mechanisms of the corresponding centers are identified. The difference between the IBIL measurements using positive ions and negative ions is that the intensities of luminescence centers can reach the maxima at lower fluences under negative-ion irradiation due to free charge accumulation.

Lattice Wave of Magnetized Spherical Dust in Radio-Frequency Sheath with Negative Ions

Lattice wave of magnetized spherical dust in radio-frequency sheath with negative ions is investigated. The dispersion relation of two-dimensional hexagonal lattice horizontal wave and the influence of negative ions and magnetic field intensity on the wave are also investigated. The results show that for two-dimensional hexagonal horizontal lattice wave, negative ions reduce the wave frequency at the range of long-wavelength, whereas raising the wave frequency at the range of short-wavelength and magnetic field contributes to dropping the wave frequency a little.

3D fluid model analysis on the generation of negative hydrogen ions for negative ion source of NBI

A radio-frequency(RF) inductively coupled negative hydrogen ion source(NHIS) has been adopted in the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor(CFETR) to generate negative hydrogen ions.By incorporating the level-lumping method into a three-dimensional fluid model,the volume production and transportation of H^(-) in the NHIS,which consists of a cylindrical driver region and a rectangular expansion chamber,are investigated self-consistently at a large input power(40 k W) and different pressures(0.3–2.0 Pa).The results indicate that with the increase of pressure,the H^(-) density at the bottom of the expansion region first increases and then decreases.In addition,the effect of the magnetic filter is examined.It is noteworthy that a significant increase in the H^(-) density is observed when the magnetic filter is introduced.As the permanent magnets move towards the driver region,the H^(-) density decreases monotonically and the asymmetry is enhanced.This study contributes to the understanding of H-distribution under various conditions and facilitates the optimization of volume production of negative hydrogen ions in the NHIS.

Experimental results of a magnetic field modification to the radio frequency driver of a negative ion source

A magnetic field produced by a current flowing through the plasma grid(PG) is one of the solutions to reduce the collisional loss of negative ions in a negative ion source, which reduces the electron temperature in front of the PG. However, the magnetic field diffused into the driver has some influence on the plasma outflowing. In order to investigate the effect of changing this magnetic field on the outflowing of plasma from the driver, a circular ring(absorber) of high permeability iron has been introduced at the driver exit, which can reduce the magnetic field around it and improve plasma outflowing. With the application of the absorber, the electron density is increased by about 35%, and the extraction current measured from the extraction grid is increased from 1.02 A to 1.29 A. The results of the extraction experiment with cesium injection show that both the extraction grid(EG) current and H-current are increased when the absorber is introduced.

Above-threshold detachment of negative ions by circularly polarized few-cycle laser fields

In accordance with nonperturbative quantum scattering theory, we investigate photoelectron angular distri- butions （PADs） from above-threshold detachment （ATD） of negative ions irradiated by circularly polarized few-cycle laser fields. Electrons ejected on the polarization plane demonstrate distinct anisotropies in an- gular distributions which distinctly vary with the carrier-envelope （CE） phase. The anisotropy is caused by interference between transition channels; it also depends strongly on laser frequency, pulse duration, and kinetic energy of photoelectrons. Optimal emission of photoelectrons, which varies with CE phase, makes it possible to control photoelectron motion.

The spatial-temporal pattern and influencing factors of negative air ions in urban forests, Shanghai, China

Negative air ions are natural components of the air we breathe Forests are the main continuous natural source of negative air ions （NAI）. The spatio-temporal patterns of negative air ions were explored in Shanghai, based on monthly monitoring in 15 parks from March 2009 to February 2010. In each park, sampling sites were selected in forests and open spaces. The annual variation in negative air ion concentrations （NAIC） showed peak values from June to October and minimum values from December to January. NAIC were highest in summer and autumn, intermediate in spring, and lowest in winter. During spring and summer, NAIC in open spaces were significantly higher in rural areas than those in suburban areas. However, there were no significant differences in NAIC at forest sites among seasons. For open spaces, total suspended particles （TSP） were the dominant determining factor of NAIC in sum- mer, and air temperature and air humidity were the dominant determining factors of NAIC in spring, which were tightly correlated with Shanghai＇s ongoing urbanization and its impacts on the environment. R is suggested that urbanization could induce variation in NAIC along the urban-rural gradient, but that may not change the temporal variation pattern. Fur- thermore, the effects of urbanization on NAIC were limited in non-vegetated or less-vegetated sites, such as open spaces, but not in well-vegetated areas, such as urban forests. Therefore, we suggest that urban greening, especially urban forest, has significant resistance to theeffect of urbanization on NAIC.

Factors influencing the concentration of negative air ions during the year in forests and urban green spaces of the Dapeng Peninsula in Shenzhen, China

Negative air ions(NAIs)benefit the mental and physical health of humans,but rapid urbanization can decrease the abundance of NAIs.Quantifying the spatial and seasonal distribution of NAIs and determining the factors that infl uence the concentration during urbanization is thus essential.In the present study of a typical developing urban district in southern China,negative air ion concentrations(NAICs)in 60 forests sites and 30 urban green spaces were quantifi ed on seven consecutive days in each of the four seasons.Large seasonal variations in NAIC were revealed in forests and urban green spaces with trough values in summer.NAIC progressively decreased from forests to urban green spaces and was infl uenced by local land morphology,vegetation characteristics,and climatic factors.The vast,heavily vegetated northeastern region was the richest area for NAIs,whereas the narrow central region(urbanized area)was the poorest,implying dramatic impacts of urbanization on the spatial distribution of NAIs.The relationship between air temperature and NAIC was better fi tted with a quadratic equation than a linear equation.Moreover,the NAIC was more sensitive to local morphology in urban green spaces than in urban forests,indicating the vulnerability of NAIs in urbanized areas.Therefore,the appropriate design of local urban morphology is critical.

Characteristics of the pressure profile in the accelerator on the RF negative ion source at ASIPP

Neutral beam injection(NBI)systems based on negative hydrogen ion sources-rather than the positive ion sources that have typically been used to date-will be used in the future magnetically confined nuclear fusion experiments to heat the plasma.The collisions between the fast negative ions and neutral background gas result in a significant number of high-energy positive ions being produced in the acceleration area,and for the high-power long-pulse operation of NBI systems,this acceleration of positive ions back to the ion source creates heat load and material sputtering on the source backplate.This difficulty cannot be ignored,with the neutral gas density in the acceleration region having a significant impact on the flux density of the backstreaming positive ions.In the work reported here,the pressure gradient in the acceleration region was estimated using an ionization gauge and a straightforward 1D computation,and it was found that once gas traveled through the acceleration region,the pressure dropped by nearly one order of magnitude,with the largest pressure drop occurring at the plasma grid.The computation also revealed that the pressure drop in the grid gaps was substantially smaller than that in the grid apertures.

Electron flux distributions in photodetachment of HF^- near an interface: Theoretical imaging method study

The electron flux distributions in the photodetachment of HF- near an interface are studied using a two-center model and the theoretical imaging method. An analytical expression for electron flux distributions is derived, which displays oscillations on an observation plane similar to the recent results published by Wang but in the presence of a static electric field. We also discuss the expressions for soft and hard wall cases in detail. A comparison is made with the previous work. The expression is a more general result, and we can deduce from it the electron flux distributions for the photodetachment of H2 near an interface. Finally, we show that the expression reveals similar results as those in [Chin. Phys. B 19 020306 （2010）] when the wall effect is neglected.

Modification of Nano Tourmaline Surface Treatment Agent and Its Performance on Negative Ion Release

In this paper,a kind of wall fabric’s surface treatment agent modified with nonionic surfactant was reported.This surface treatment agent was prepared by using nano tourmaline powder dispersion in water with surfactant as dispersants by sand milling.Under the influence of different dispersants,the negative ions releasing amount of functional wall fabrics,the milling process and the storage stability of nano tourmaline powder dispersion were discussed.The results showed that nano tourmaline powder dispersion achieved the smallest average diameter of 44 nm and had best storage stability that the average diameter maintained below 200 nm in 17 days when the addition amount of dispersant was 20 percent of the tourmaline powders’weight.What is more,the quantity of negative ion releasing achieved 6500 ion/cm3 when addition amount of dispersant was 30 percent.This technique could be used to strengthen productivity of nano tourmaline powder dispersion.

First results of negative ion extraction with Cs for CRAFT prototype negative beam source

In order to understand the physics and pre-study the engineering issues for radio frequency(RF)negative beam source,a prototype source with a single driver and three-electrode accelerator was developed.Recently,the beam source was tested on the RF source test facility with RF plasma generation,negative ion production and extraction.A magnetic filter system and a Cs injection system were employed to enhance the negative ion production.As a result,a long pulse of 105 s negative ion beam with current density of 153 A m-2 was repeatedly extracted successfully.The source pressure is 0.6 Pa and the ratio of co-extracted electron and negative ion current is around0.3.The details of design and experimental results of beam source were shown in this letter.

Design of the Prototype Negative Ion Source for Neutral Beam Injector at ASIPP

In order to support the design, manufacture and commissioning of the negative- ion-based neutral beam injection （NBI） system for the Chinese Fusion Engineering Test Reactor （CFETR）, the Hefei utility negative ion test equipment with RF source （HUNTER） was proposed at ASIPP. A prototype negative ion source will be developed at first. The main bodies of plasma source and accelerator of the prototype negative ion source are similar to that of the ion source for EAST-NBI. But instead of the filament-arc driver, an RF driver is adopted for the prototype negative ion source to fulfill the requirement of long pulse operation. A cesium seeding system and a magnetic filter are added for enhancing the negative ion density near the plasma grid and minimizing co-extracted electrons. Besides, an ITER-like extraction system is applied inside the accelerator, where the negative ion beam is extracted and accelerated up to 50 kV.

Influence of magnetic filter field on the radio-frequency negative hydrogen ion source of neutral beam injector for China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor

In the design of negative hydrogen ion sources,a magnetic filter field of tens of Gauss at the expansion region is essential to reduce the electron temperature,which usually results in a magnetic field of around 10 Gauss in the driver region,destabilizing the discharge.The magnetic shield technique is proposed in this work to reduce the magnetic field in the driver region and improve the discharge characteristics.In this paper,a three-dimensional fluid model is developed within COMSOL to study the influence of the magnetic shield on the generation and transport of plasmas in the negative hydrogen ion source.It is found that when the magnetic shield material is applied at the interface of the expansion region and the driver region,the electron density can be effectively increased.For instance,the maximum of the electron density is 6.7×10^(17)m^(-3)in the case without the magnetic shield,and the value increases to 9.4×10^(17)m^(-3)when the magnetic shield is introduced.

Research on Spatial Changes of Negative Air Ion Concentration in Hefei City

[Objective] The study aimed to discuss the spatial changes of negative air ion concentration in Hefei City. [Method] Based on the observation of air ions, temperature, relative humidity, the spatial changes of negative air ion concentration in different districts of Hefei City were ana- lyzed firstly, then the correlation between negative air ion concentration and meteorological factors was discussed. [ Result] Air cleanliness index （CI） of the parks, residential areas, industrial regions, transport stations and prosperous commercial districts was 0.86, 0.53, 0.37, 0.26 and 0.17 respectively, and the latter two regions suffered mild and moderate pollution separately. Daily variations of negative air ion concentration in the residential areas and parks of Hefei City were obvious, showing U shape, that is, the maximum values appeared in the morning and evening, while the minimum values could be found around 14 ：（30. There was no distinctly regular variation of negative air ion concentration in the prosperous com- mercial districts, transport stations and industrial areas. In Hefei City, the concentration of negative air ions showed an increasing trend from the ur- ban districts to the suburban districts; it was obviously higher in the residential areas and parks with numerous plants and waters compared with the prosperous commercial districts and transport stations. Negative air ion concentration correlated with relative humidity positively and temperature negatively, so the main meteorological factors influencing the negative air ion concentration in Hefei City were temperature and relative humidity. [ Coedusloa] The research could provide scientific references for city planning and greenbelt construction in future.

Influence of Negative Bias Voltage on the Mechanical and Tribological Properties of MoS_2/Zr Composite Films

MoS2/Zr composite films were deposited on the cemented carbide YT14 （WC＋14%TiC＋6%Co） by medium-frequency magnetron sputtered and coupled with multi-arc ion plated techniques.The influence of negative bias voltage on the composite film properties,including adhesion strength,micro-hardness,thickness and tribological properties were investigated.The results showed that proper negative bias voltage could significantly improve the mechanical and tribological properties of composite films.The effects of negative bias voltage on film properties were also put forward.The optimal negative bias voltage was -200 V under this experiment conditions.The obtained composite films were dense,the adhesion strength was about 60 N,the thickness was about 2.4 μm,and the micro-hardness was about 9.0 GPa.The friction coefficient and wear rate was 0.12 and 2.1×10-7 cm3/N·m respectively after 60 m sliding operation against hardened steel under a load of 20 N and a sliding speed of 200 rev·min-1.