Session KP01 - Poster Session III.
POSTER session, Tuesday afternoon, March 23
Exhibit Hall, GWCC
The Penning Fusion eXperiment – Ions (PFX-I), part of the Innovative Concepts Initiative of the Office of Fusion Energy (OFE) is a unique magnetic confinement concept based upon the traditional Penning trap. To produce fusion relevant conditions, high voltages (\geq100kV) and small sizes are required, making electrical breakdown a critical technology and science issue. The trap itself has an ID of less than 40mm, with access to the center restricted through ports less than 15mm in diameter. The small trap size and relatively low electron density discounts several diagnostics. We are developing a diagnostic based upon the Stark splitting of the Hydrogen \alpha-line when neutral H_2 gas is added to the electron cloud confined in the trap. For our experimental conditions (n_e \geq 10^10 cm^-3), calculations indicate that \sim10^13 photons/sec^.cm^3 should be emitted from the plasma and the H_\alpha \pi-lines should be separated by more than an angstrom. We will present the specifics of the optical assembly and magnetic field flux-shaping. Results to date will be presented, including the electron lifetime data.