Unsteady behaviour of a continuous plasma centrifuge

Abstract

Data collected during 5 s operating pulses in a narrow (35 mm wide) plasma centrifuge are presented. Pressure gradients, set up radially in the argon plasma by the combined effects of centrifuging and the ion wind, are unsteady, with the pressure measured at the centre rising and falling several times during a run. From observations of plasma light output, it is found that at times during a discharge when the pressure is rising, there is a high level of nonuniformity in the plasma. The likely explanation is that when strong spoke-type structures are present in the plasma, circulating flows degrade centrifuge performance.