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Division Spotlight
Isotopes & Radiation
Members are devoted to applying nuclear science and engineering technologies involving isotopes, radiation applications, and associated equipment in scientific research, development, and industrial processes. Their interests lie primarily in education, industrial uses, biology, medicine, and health physics. Division committees include Analytical Applications of Isotopes and Radiation, Biology and Medicine, Radiation Applications, Radiation Sources and Detection, and Thermal Power Sources.
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2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Latest News
Kentucky legislature sends nuclear bills to governor
Kentucky’s Republican-majority legislature passed a bill this past week that could bring nuclear energy to the “coal-is-king” state as lawmakers broadly seek solutions to reduce carbon emissions. The bill went to Democratic Gov. Andrew Beshear on Monday for final approval.
M. D. Carter, F. W. Baity, Jr., G. C. Barber, R. H. Goulding, Y. Mori, D. O. Sparks, K. F. White, E. F. Jaeger, F.R. Chang-Díaz, J. P. Squire
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 43 | Number 1 | January 2003 | Pages 125-129
Propulsion | doi.org/10.13182/FST03-A11963578
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The ability to obtain high plasma densities with high fractional ionization using readily available, low-cost components makes the helicon a candidate plasma source for many applications, including plasma rocket propulsion, fusion component testing, and materials processing. However, operation of a helicon can be a sensitive function of the magnetic field strength and geometry as well as the driving frequency, especially when using light feedstock gases such as hydrogen or helium. In this paper, we compare results from a coupled radio frequency (RF) and transport model with experiments in the axially inhomogeneous Mini-Radio Frequency Test Facility (Mini-RFTF). Experimental observations of the radial shape of the density profile can be quantitatively reproduced by iteratively converging a high-resolution RF calculation including the RF parallel electric field with a transport model using reasonable choices for the transport parameters. The experimentally observed transition into the high density helicon mode is observed in the model, appearing as a nonlinear synergism between radial diffusion, the RF coupling to parallel electric fields that damp near the plasma edge, and propagation of helicon waves that collisionally damp near the axis of the device. Power deposition from various electric field components indicates that inductive coupling and absorption in the edge region can reduce the efficiency for high-density operation. These findings can be used to optimize helicon discharges for use in Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) designs, and estimates for the helicon power required to perform ion cyclotron heating experiments in the Mini-RFTF are given.