Development of a high energy pulsed plasma simulator for the study of liquid lithium trenches

• A pulse device for a liquid lithium trench study is developed.
• It consists of a coaxial plasma gun, a theta pinch, and guiding magnets.
• A large energy enhancement is observed with the use of the plasma gun.
• A further increase in energy and velocity is observed with the theta pinch.

To simulate detrimental events in a tokamak and provide a test-stand for a liquid-lithium infused trench (LiMIT) device [1], a pulsed plasma source utilizing a theta pinch in conjunction with a coaxial plasma accelerator has been developed. The plasma is characterized using a triple Langmuir probe, optical methods, and a calorimeter. Clear advantages have been observed with the application of a coaxial plasma accelerator as a pre-ionization source. The experimental results of the plasma gun in conjunction with the existing theta pinch show a significant improvement from the previous energy deposition by a factor of 14 or higher, resulting in a maximum energy and heat flux of 0.065 ± 0.002 MJ/m2 and 0.43 ± 0.01 GW/m2. A few ways to further increase the plasma heat flux for LiMIT experiments are discussed.