Diagnostics of First Wall Materials in a Magnetically Confined Fusion Device by Polarization-Resolved Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy （LIBS） is a powerful analytical tool for real- time diagnostics and detection of multiple elements deposited at the first wall of magnetically confined plasma ft^sion devices. Recently, we have tested LIBS in our laboratory for application to in situ real-time diagnostics in the fusion device EAST. In this study, we applied polarization- resolved LIBS （PR-LIBS） to reduce the background continuum and enhance the resolution and sensitivity of LIBS. We used aluminium （A1） （as a substitute for Be） and the first wall materials tungsten （W） and molybdenum （Mo） to investigate polarized continuum emission and signal-to- background ratio （SBR）. A Nd：YAG laser with first, second and third harmonics was used to produce plasma. The effects of the laser polarization plane, environmental pressure and polarizer detection angle were investigated. The spectra obtained without using a polarizer （i.e. LIBS） were compared with those obtained with a polarizer （PR-LIBS）. Distribution of emission spectral intensity was observed to follow Malus＇ law with respect to variation in the angle of detection of the polarizer. The spectra obtained by PR-LIBS had a higher SBR and greater stability than those obtained by LIBS, thereby enhancing the reliability of LIBS for quantitative analyses. A comparison of A1, Mo and W showed that W exhibited a higher continuum with stronger polarization than the low-Z elements.

Plasma diagnosis of tetrahedral amorphous carbon films by filtered cathodic vacuum arc deposition

Filtered cathodic vacuum arc(FCVA)deposition is regarded as an important technique for the synthesis of tetrahedral amorphous carbon(ta-C)films due to its high ionization rate,high deposition rate and effective filtration of macroparticles.Probing the plasma characteristics of arc discharge contributes to understanding the deposition mechanism of ta-C films on a microscopic level.This work focuses on the plasma diagnosis of an FCVA discharge using a Langmuir dualprobe system with a discrete Fourier transform smoothing method.During the ta-C film deposition,the arc current of graphite cathodes and deposition pressure vary from 30 to 90 A and from 0.3 to 0.9 Pa,respectively.The plasma density increases with arc current but decreases with pressure.The carbon plasma density generated by the arc discharge is around the order of10^(10)cm^(-3).The electron temperature varies in the range of 2-3.5 eV.As the number of cathodic arc sources and the current of the focused magnetic coil increase,the plasma density increases.The ratio of the intensity of the D-Raman peak and G-Raman peak(I_(D)/I_(G))of the ta-C films increases with increasing plasma density,resulting in a decrease in film hardness.It is indicated that the mechanical properties of ta-C films depend not only on the ion energy but also on the carbon plasma density.

Features of transport induced by ion-driven trapped-electron modes in tokamak plasmas

As an obstacle in high-performance discharge in future fusion devices,disruptions may do great damages to the reactors through causing strong electromagnetic forces,heat loads and so on.The drift waves in tokamak are illustrated to play essential roles in the confinement performance as well.Depending on the plasma parameters and mode perpendicular wavelength,the mode phase velocity is either in the direction of electron diamagnetic velocity(namely,typical trapped electron mode)or in the direction of ion diamagnetic velocity(namely,the ubiquitous mode).Among them,the ubiquitous mode is directly investigated using gyro-fluid simulation associating with gyro-fluid equations for drift waves in tokamak plasmas.The ubiquitous mode is charactered by the short wavelength and propagates in ion diamagnetic direction.It is suggested that the density gradient is essential for the occurrence of the ubiquitous mode.However,the ubiquitous mode is also influenced by the temperature gradients and other plasma parameters including the magnetic shear and the fraction of trapped electrons.Furthermore,the ubiquitous mode may play essential roles in the turbulent transport.Meanwhile,the relevant parameters are scanned using a great number of electrostatic gyro-fluid simulations.The stability map is taken into consideration with the micro-instabilities contributing to the turbulent transport.The stability valley of the growth rates occurs with the assumption of the normalized temperature gradient equaling to the normalized density gradient.

Effect of parameter setting and spectral normalization approach on study of matrix effect by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy of Ag–Zn binary composites

The complex nature of laser-material interaction causes non-stoichiometric ablation of alloy samples.This is attributed to matrix effect, which reduces analyzing capability. To address this issue, the analytical performance of three different normalization methods, namely normalization with background, internal normalization and three point smoothing techniques at different parameter settings is studied for quantification of Ag and Zn by Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy(LIBS).The LIBS spectra of five known concentration of silver zinc binary composites have been investigated at various laser irradiances(LIs). Calibration curves for both Ag(I) line(4d^(10)5s^2S_(1/2)→4d^(10)5p^2P_(1/2) at 338.28 nm) and Zn(I) line(4s5s^3S_1→4s4p^3P_2 at 481.053 nm) have been determined at LI of 5.86?×?10^(10)W cm^(-2). Slopes of these calibration curves provide the valuation of matrix effect in the Ag–Zn composites. With careful sample preparation and normalization after smoothing at optimum parameter setting(OPS), the minimization of sample matrix effect has been successfully achieved. A good linearity has been obtained in Ag and Zn calibration curve at OPS when normalized the whole area of spectrum after smoothing and the obtained coefficients of determination values were R^2?=?0.995 and 0.998 closer to 1. The results of matrix effect have been further verified by analysis of plasma parameters. Both plasma parameters showed no change with varying concentration at OPS. However, at high concentration of Ag, the observed significant changes in both plasma parameters at common parameter setting PS-1 and PS-2 were the gesture of matrix effect. In our case, the better analytical results were obtained at smoothing function with optimized parameter setting that indicates it is more efficient than normalization with background and internal normalization method.

Effects of diamagnetic drift on nonlinear interaction between multi-helicity neoclassical tearing modes

A numerical study of the diamagnetic drift effect on the nonlinear interaction between multi-helicity neoclassical tearing modes(NTMs) is carried out using a set of four-field equations including two-fluid effects.The results show that,in contrast to the single-fluid case,5/3 NTM cannot be completely suppressed by 3/2 NTM with diamagnetic drift flow.Both modes exhibit oscillation and coexist in the saturated phase.To better understand the effect of the diamagnetic drift flow on multiple-helicity NTMs,the influence of typical relevant parameters is investigated.It is found that the average saturated magnetic island width increases with increasing bootstrap current fraction f_(b) but decreases with the ion skin depth δ.In addition,as the ratio of parallel to perpendicular transport coefficients χ_(‖)/χ_(⊥) increases,the average saturated magnetic island widths of the 3/2 and 5/3 NTMs increase.The underlying mechanisms behind these observations are discussed in detail.

Simulation of deuterium pellet ablation and deposition in the EAST tokamak with HPI2 code

Pellet injection is a primary method for fueling the plasma in magnetic confinement devices.For that goal the knowledges of pellet ablation and deposition profiles are critical.In the present study,the pellet fueling code HPI2 was used to predict the ablation and deposition profiles of deuterium pellets injected into a typical H-mode discharge on the EAST tokamak.Pellet ablation and deposition profiles were evaluated for various pellet injection locations,with the aim at optimizing the pellet injection to obtain a deep fueling depth.In this study,we investigate the effect of the injection angle on the deposition depth of the pellet at different velocities and sizes.The ablation and deposition of the injected pellet are mainly studied at each injection position for three different injection angles:0°,45°,and 60°.The pellet injection on the high field side(HFS)can achieve a more ideal deposition depth than on the low field side(LFS).Among these angles,horizontal injection on the middle plane is relatively better on either the HFS or the LFS.When the injection location is 0.468 m below the middle plane on the HFS or 0.40 m above the middle plane of the LFS,it can achieve a similar deposition depth to the one of its corresponding side.When the pre-cooling effect is taken into account,the deposition depth is predicted to increase only slightly when the pellet is launched from the HFS.The findings of this study will serve as a reference for the update of pellet injection systems for the EAST tokamak.

Plasma potential measurements using an emissive probe made of oxide cathode

A novel emissive probe consisting of an oxide cathode coating is developed to achieve a low operating temperature and long service life.The properties of the novel emissive probe are investigated in detail,in comparison with a traditional tungsten emissive probe,including the operating temperature,the electron emission capability and the plasma potential measurement.Studies of the operating temperature and electron emission capability show that the tungsten emissive probe usually works at a temperature of 1800 K-2200 K while the oxide cathode emissive probe can function at about 1200 K-1400 K.In addition,plasma potential measurements using the oxide cathode emissive probe with different techniques have been accomplished in microwave electron cyclotron resonance plasmas with different discharge powers.It is found that a reliable plasma potential can be obtained using the improved inflection point method and the hot probe with zero emission limit method,while the floating point method is invalid for the oxide cathode emissive probe.

Numerical studies for plasmas of a linear plasma device HIT-PSI with geometry modified SOLPS-ITER

The HIT-PSI is a linear plasma device built for physically simulating the high heat flux environment of future reactor divertors to test/develop advanced target plate materials.In this study,the geometry-modified SOLPS-ITER program is employed to examine the effects of the magnetic field strength and neutral pressure in the device on the heat flux experienced by the target plate of the HIT-PSI device.The findings of the numerical simulation indicate a positive correlation between the magnetic field strength and the heat flux density.Conversely,there is a negative correlation observed between the heat flux density and the neutral pressure.When the magnetic field strength at the axis exceeds 1 tesla and the neutral pressure falls below 10 Pa,the HIT-PSI has the capability to attain a heat flux of 10 MW·m-2 at the target plate.The simulation results offer a valuable point of reference for subsequent experiments at HIT-PSI.

Effect of grain size on gas bubble evolution in nuclear fuel:Phase-field investigations

Numerous irradiation-induced gas bubbles are created in the nuclear fuel during irradiation, leading to the change of microstructure and the degradation of mechanical and thermal properties. The grain size of fuel is one of the important factors affecting bubble evolution. In current study, we first predict the thermodynamic behaviors of point defects as well as the interplay between vacancy and gas atom in both UO_(2) and U_(3)Si_(2) according to ab initio approach. Then, we establish the irradiation-induced bubble phase-field model to investigate the formation and evolution of intra-and inter-granular gas bubbles. The effects of fission rate and temperature on the evolutions of bubble morphologies in UO_(2) and U_(3)Si_(2) have been revealed. Especially, a comparison of porosities under different grain sizes is examined and analyzed. To understand the thermal conductivity as functions of grain size and porosity, the heat transfer capability of U_(3)Si_(2) is evaluated.

Quantum State-Resolved Nonadiabatic Dynamics of the H+NaF→Na+HF Reaction

The H+NaF reaction is investigated at the quantum state-resolved level using the time-dependent wavepacket method based on a set of accurate diabatic potential energy surfaces.Oscillatory structures in the total reaction probability indicate the presence of the short-lived intermediate complex.

Temporal and spatial dynamics of optical emission from laser ablation of the first wall materials of fusion device

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy （LIBS） has been developed to in situ diagnose the chemical compositions of the first wall in the EAST tokamak. However, the dynamics of optical emission of the key plasma-facing materials, such as tungsten, molybdenum and graphite have not been investigated in a laser produced plasma （LPP） under vacuum. In this work, the temporal and spatial dynamics of optical emission were investigated using the spectrometer with ICCD. Plasma was produced by an Nd：YAG laser （1064 nm） with pulse duration of 6 ns. The results showed that the typical lifetime of LPP is less than 1.4 #s, and the lifetime of ions is shorter than atoms at ~10-6mbar. Temporal features of optical emission showed that the optimized delay times for collecting spectra are from 100 to 400 ns which depended on the corresponding species. For spatial distribution, the maximum LIBS spectral intensity in plasma plume is obtained in the region from 1.5 to 3.0 mm above the sample surface. Moreover, the plasma expansion velocity involving the different species in a multicomponent system was measured for obtaining the proper timing （gate delay time and gate width） of the maximum emission intensity and for understanding the plasma expansion mechanism. The order of expansion velocities for various species is Vc＋ 〉 VH 〉 Vsi＋ 〉 VLi 〉 VMo 〉 Vw. These results could be attributed to the plasma sheath acceleration and mass effect. In addition, an optimum signal-to-background ratio was investigated by varying both delay time and detecting position.

Compression Creep Behavior of High Volume Fraction of SiC Particles Reinforced Al Composite Fabricated by Pressureless Infiltration

The compression creep deformation of the high volume fraction of SiC particles reinforced AI-Mg-Si composite fabricated by pressure-less infiltration was investigated. The experimental results show that the creep stress exponents are very high at temperatures of 673 K, 723 K and 773 K, and if taking the threshold stress into account, the true stress exponent of minimum creep strain rate is still approximately 5, although the volume fraction of reinforcements is very high. The creep strain rate in the high volume fraction reinforced aluminum alloy matrix composites is controlled by matrix lattice diffusion. It is found that the creep-strengthening effect of high volume fraction of silicon carbide particles is significant, although the particles do not form effective obstacles to dislocation motion.

Study of ultrahigh-purity copper billets refined by vacuum melting and directional solidification

The purpose of this paper is to study large-sized copper billets refined with 5N ultrahigh purity after vacuum melting and directional solidifi-cation （VMDS）. The precise impurity analysis of copper billets was carried out with a glow discharge mass spectrometer （GDMS）. The re-sults demonstrate that the total concentration of twenty-two impurities is decreased by 63.1wt.%-66.5 wt.%. Ag, P, S, Na, Mg, Se, Zn, In and Bi are easy to be removed due to lgPimp - lgPCu 1.5, and they can be removed effectively under the vacuum condition of 1650-1700 K for 30 min. The electrical conductivity of 5N copper is higher than that of the raw material as the impurity concentrations decrease. The segrega-tion effect in directional solidification can be remarkable when the equilibrium distribution coefficient （k0） value is less than 0.65 due to the strong affinity of Cu for some metallic and non-metallic impurities.

Study of spatial and temporal evolution of Ar and F atoms in SF6/Ar microsecond pulsed discharge by optical emission spectroscopy

The study of sulfur hexafluoride(SF6) discharge is vital for its application in gas-insulated equipment. Direct current partial discharge(PD) may cause SF6 decomposition, and the decomposed products of SF6, such as F atoms, play a dominant role in the breakdown of insulation systems. In this study, the PD caused by metal protrusion defects is simulated by a needle-plate electrode using pulsed high voltage in SF6/Ar mixtures. The spatial and temporal characteristics of SF6/Ar plasma are analyzed by measuring the emission spectra of F and Ar atoms, which are important for understanding the characteristics of PD. The spatial resolved results show that both F and Ar atom spectral intensities increase first from the plate anode to the needle and then decrease under the conditions of a background pressure of400 Pa, peak voltage of-1000 V, frequency of 2 kHz, pulse width of 60 μs, and electrode gap of 5-9 mm. However, the distribution characteristics of F and Ar are significantly different. The temporal distribution results show that the spectral intensity of Ar decreasesfirst and then increases slowly, while the spectral intensity of F increases slowly for the duration of the pulsed discharge at the electrode gap of 5 mm and the pulse width of40-80 μs.

Wear and corrosion properties of laser cladded Cu_(47)Ti_(34)Zr_(11)Ni_8/SiC amorphous composite coatings on AZ91D magnesium alloy

To improve the wear and corrosion properties of AZ91D magnesium alloys,Cu-based amorphous composite coatings were fabricated on AZ91D magnesium alloy by laser cladding using mixed powders of Cu47Ti34Zr11Ni8 and SiC.The wear and corrosion behaviours of the coatings were investigated.The wear resistance of the coatings was evaluated under dry sliding wear condition at room temperature.The corrosion resistance of the coatings was tested in 3.5%(mass fraction) NaCl solution.The coatings exhibit excellent wear resistance due to the recombined action of amorphous phase and different intermetallic compounds.The main wear mechanisms of the coatings and the AZ91D sample are different.The former is abrasive wear and the latter is adhesive wear.The coatings compared with AZ91D magnesium alloy also exhibit good corrosion resistance because of the presence of the amorphous phase in the coatings.

Improvement of quantitative analysis of molybdenum element using PLS-based approaches for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in various pressure environments

An experimental setup has been designed and realized in order to optimize the characteristics of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system working in various pressure environments. An approach combined the normalization methods with the partial least squares(PLS) method are developed for quantitative analysis of molybdenum(Mo) element in the multi-component alloy,which is the first wall material in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak. In this study, the different spectral normalization methods(total spectral area normalization,background normalization, and reference line normalization) are investigated for reducing the uncertainty and improving the accuracy of spectral measurement. The results indicates that the approach of PLS based on inter-element interference is significantly better than the conventional PLS methods as well as the univariate linear methods in the various pressure for molybdenum element analysis.

Spatial Resolution Measurements of C,Si and Mo Using LIBS for Diagnostics of Plasma Facing Materials in a Fusion Device

Recently, a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopic （LIBS） system has been developed for in situ measurements of the chemical compositions of plasma facing materials （PFMs） in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak （EAST）. In this study, a LIBS system, which was used in a similar optical configuration to the in situ LIBS system in EAST, has been developed to investigate the spatial distribution of PFM elements at 10-4 Pa. The aim of this study was to understand the nature of the spatial distribution of atoms or ions of different elements in the plasma plume and optimize the signal to background ratio for the in situ LIBS diagnosis in EAST. The spatial profiles of the LIBS signals of C, Si, Mo and the continuous background were measured. Moreover, the influence of laser spot size and laser energy density on the LIBS signals of C, Si, Mo and H was also investigated. The results show that the distribution of the C, Si and Mo peaks＇ intensities first increased and then decreased from the center to the edge of the plasma plume. There was a maximum value at R ≈ 1.5 mm from the center of the plasma plume. This work aims to improve the understanding of ablating plasma dynamics in very low pressure environments and give guidance to optimize the LIBS system in the EAST device.

Numerical studies of atmospheric pressure glow discharge controlled by a dielectric barrier between two coaxial electrodes

The glow discharge in pure helium at atmospheric pressure, controlled by a dielectric barrier between coaxial electrodes, is investigated based on a one-dimensional self-consistent fluid model. By solving the continuity equations for electrons, ions, and excited atoms, with the current conservation equation and the electric field profile, the time evolution of the discharge current, gas voltage and the surface density of charged particles on the dielectric barrier are calculated. The simulation results show that the peak values of the discharge current, gas voltage and electric field in the first half period are asymmetric to the second half. When the current reaches its positive or negative maximum, the electric field profile, and the electron and ion densities represent similar properties to the typical glow discharge at low pressures. Obviously there exist a cathode fall, a negative glow region, and a positive column. Effects of the barrier position in between the two coaxial electrodes and the discharge gap width on discharge current characteristics are also analysed. The result indicates that, in the case when the dielectric covering the outer electrode only, the gas is punctured earlier during the former half period and later during the latter half period than other cases, also the current peak value is higher, and the difference of pulse width between the two half periods is more obvious. On reducing the gap width, the multiple current pulse discharge happens.