Eiki Hotta

Development of Multi Faraday Cup Assembly for Ion Beam Measurements from a Low Energy Plasma Focus Device

A multiple Faraday cup assembly has been developed for measuring pulsed ion beam of a low energy plasma focus device. The Faraday cups operating in biased ion collector mode have nanosecond response and these have been used to determine the energy spectrum and flux of fast nitrogen ion beam emerging out of the pinched plasma column. The design feature that makes our Faraday cups unique is that they can register ion energy of higher kinetic value (~hundreds of keV) as well as lower kinetic value (~keV). It has been possible to register the ion energy upto a lower kinetic energy threshold of ~5 keV which is a value much lower than that obtained in any previous works. The correlation of the ion beam flux with filling gas pressure is also reported. Angular distribution of ion measurement reveals a highly anisotropic emission indicating an ion dip at the electrode axis.

Anode length optimization in a modified plasma focus device for optimal x-ray yields

The effect of anode length and operating gas pressure on the x-ray emission from a nitrogen-filling modified plasma focus device has been investigated. The time-resolved investigation of x ray was carried out by using a five-channel photodiode x-ray spectrometer. The maximum x-ray yield is seen to increase with the increase in the anode length from 110 to 125 mm. Further increase in the anode length to 130 mm causes the x-ray yields to decrease. The highest x-ray yield of 4.5 J into 4πsr was found for 125 mm anode length, which is 0.2% of the input energy. The average x-ray photon energy was estimated by using half-value thickness method and found to be 8.4 keV. The electron temperature of the plasma was estimated to be around 3 keV by x-ray intensity ratio method. The space-resolved x-ray-emitting zones for all the anodes were captured by a pinhole-based x-ray imaging camera and the images were scanned for different gray levels by using a MATLAB computing software. These gray level spectra show that the ...

Development and characterization of a low current capillary discharge for X-ray laser studies

Capillary discharge experiments were carried out for soft X-ray laser studies. A ceramic capillary, which has an inner diameter of 3 mm and a length of 150 mm, has been used for the end-on X-ray diode observation, and a Pyrex capillary has been used for side-view observation. Spike output has been observed, when operating the device with a predischarge current of 5 to 15 A, a current of 9 to 35 kA with a rise time of 55 ns in an argon gas pressure range from 100 to 800 mtorr. It is found that without a predischarge current, spike output has been hardly observed. Observation of spike output at a low discharge current of 9 kA provides us a possibility for design of a compact soft X-ray laser device. When the predischarge is turned off, the side-view observation of the capillary discharge clearly shows the growth of instabilities during the pinch process. This suggests that the predischarge is indispensable for achieving a uniform plasma, which is required by the soft X-ray lasing in a capillary discharge.

Multiple self-injection in the acceleration of monoenergetic electrons by a laser wake field

Multiple electron self-injection in laser wake-field acceleration is studied via fully relativistic two- and three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation. The electron density modulation in the laser wake originating from oscillations of the laser pulse waist and relativistic effects can provoke the parametric resonance in the electron fluid momentum. This may result in repetitive trapping of plasma electrons in the acceleration phase of the laser wake: multiple electron self-injection. The maximal energy of the accelerated electrons depends strongly on the total charge of the injected electrons. A low energy spread, less than 1%, for an almost 1 GeV energy electron beam with charge about 10 pC is found numerically in the plasma channel irradiated by a 25 TW laser pulse, while a 200 TW laser pulse produces a few nC beam with only 150 MeV energy. Essentially thermalization of accelerated electrons is also a result of charge loading.

Observation of multi-pulse soft x-ray lasing in a fast capillary discharge

We have designed, fabricated and tested a soft x-ray device, which uses a capillary discharge to achieve neon-like argon lasing. The ceramic capillary has an inner diameter of 3 mm and a length of 150 mm. When operating the device with a current of 16 kA and dI/dt of 517.8 A ns-1 at gas pressure of 26.7 Pa, lasing has been confirmed. Multi-pulse laser output has also been observed with a slightly higher current of 17.5 kA, and this indicates that there exist several configurations suitable for the Ne-like Ar lasing during one pinch process. This is the first observation of multi-pulse laser output.

Miniature hybrid plasma focus extreme ultraviolet source driven by 10 kA fast current pulse

A miniature hybrid plasma focus device, operated in xenon gas medium and driven by a 10kA fast current pulse, has been used to generate extreme ultraviolet radiation in the range of 6–15nm. At present the radiation characteristics from xenon plasma were mainly assessed qualitatively using standard tools such as visible light framing camera, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pinhole camera, and EUV photodiode. Strong pinching of xenon plasma is indicative from both visible and EUV imagings. The maximum size of the EUV emitting zone is estimated to be of the order of 0.21×1.55mm and the estimated value is within the accepted value as benchmarked by industries. The EUV intensity measurement by photodiode showed fairly isotropic radiation at least in a half solid angle. This device can be developed further as a competent source for EUV metrology or lithography applications.

Estimation of optimum density and temperature for maximum efficiency of tin ions in Z discharge extreme ultraviolet sources

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) discharge-based lamps for EUV lithography need to generate extremely high power in the narrow spectrum band of 13.5±0.135 nm. A simplified collisional-radiative model and radiative transfer solution for an isotropic medium were utilized to investigate the wavelength-integrated light outputs in tin (Sn) plasma. Detailed calculations using the Hebrew University-Lawrence Livermore atomic code were employed for determination of necessary atomic data of the Sn4+ to Sn13+ charge states. The result of model is compared with experimental spectra from a Sn-based discharge-produced plasma. The analysis reveals that considerably larger efficiency compared to the so-called efficiency of a black-body radiator is formed for the electron density ≃1018 cm−3. For higher electron density, the spectral efficiency of Sn plasma reduces due to the saturation of resonance transitions.

Study on Plasma Agent Effect of a Direct-Current Atmospheric Pressure Oxygen-Plasma Jet on Inactivation of E. coli Using Bacterial Mutants

Biosensors of single-gene knockout mutants and physical methods using mesh and quartz glass are employed to discriminate plasma agents and assess their lethal effects generated in a Direct-Current atmospheric-pressure oxygen plasma jet. Radicals generated in plasma are determined by optical emission spectroscopy, along with the O3 density measurement by UV absorption spectroscopy. Besides, thermal effect is investigated by an infrared camera. The biosensors include three kinds of Escherichia coli (E. coli) K-12 substrains with their mutants, totalling 8 kinds of bacteria. Results show that oxidative stress plays a main role in the inactivation process. Rather than superoxide O2-, neutral reactive oxygen species such as O3 and O2(a1Δg) are identified as dominant sources for oxidative stress. In addition, DNA damage caused by oxidation is found to be an important destruction mechanism.

Performance of pulsed power generator using high-voltage static induction thyristor

In present pulsed power generator systems using semiconductor switches, saturable magnetic switches are usually connected in series to compress the output pulse because the current rise time of semiconductor switches are generally not short enough. However, these magnetic switches are heavy and they reduce the energy transfer efficiency. Here, the authors propose a pulsed power generator system using 5500 V static induction thyristor (SI-Thy) and a Blumlein line for pulse formation, and its fundamental characteristics are evaluated. From experiments using only one SI-Thy, they obtained a turn-on time of several tens of nanoseconds and a maximum rise rate of the output voltage of 96 kV//spl mu/s. It is confirmed that SI-Thy will have sufficient performance as the main switch of the pulsed power generator for flue gas treatment and decomposition of hazardous gases if several devices are connected in series.

Potential of discharge-based lithium plasma as an extreme ultraviolet source

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) discharge-based lamps for EUV lithography need to generate extremely high power in the spectrum band of 13.5±0.135nm. A model was developed to investigate the wavelength-integrated Lyman-α lines light outputs in hydrogen-like lithium ion. The analysis reveals that the commonly observed low conversion efficiency is largely due to a transient nature of Z discharge-based plasma and that a magnetically confined lithium plasma is an efficient EUV source even at low electron temperature. Calculation shows necessary confinement time that raises the conversion efficiency up to half the spectral efficiency.