Abstract: An apparatus for producing a stable, high pressure plasma column with long length, and high axial uniformity. Rotating a gas-filled tube about an horizontal axis creates a vortex with minimal, or no shear flow. Such a vortex provides a stable equilibrium for a central column of high temperature gas and plasma when, for a given rotation speed, the centrifugal force dominates over the gravitational force inside the smallest radial dimension of the containment envelope. For gas pressures sufficiently high that the particle mean free path is short compared with the thickness of the gas layer between the central plasma column and the wall, thermal transport across this sheath layer is small and its temperature is low. High pressure discharges inside a rotating envelope may be sustained by a variety of means, including electrical, electromagnetic and chemical; they may find application in plasma torches, light sources, etc.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing a stable, high pressure plasma column with long length, and high axial uniformity. Rotating a gas-filled tube about an horizontal axis creates a vortex with minimal, or no shear flow. Such a vortex provides a stable equilibrium for a central column of high temperature gas and plasma when, for a given rotation speed, the centrifugal force dominates over the gravitational force inside the smallest radial dimension of the containment envelope. For gas pressures sufficiently high that the particle mean free path is short compared with the thickness of the gas layer between the central plasma column and the wall, thermal transport across this sheath layer is small and its temperature is low. High pressure discharges inside a rotating envelope may be sustained by a variety of means, including electrical, electromagnetic and chemical; they may find application in plasma torches, light sources, etc.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing a stable, high pressure plasma column with long length, and high axial uniformity. Rotating a gas-filled tube about an horizontal axis creates a vortex with minimal, or no shear flow. Such a vortex provides a stable equilibrium for a central column of high temperature gas and plasma when, for a given rotation speed, the centrifugal force dominates over the gravitational force inside the smallest radial dimension of the containment envelope. High pressure discharges inside a rotating envelope may be sustained by a variety of energy sources, including electrical, electromagnetic and chemical; they may find application in plasma torches, light sources, etc.

Abstract: A grating spectrometer employing digital control of an oscillating component (a mirror) and phase-locked digital recording of the intensity profile within the narrow spectral domain defined by an oscillation frequency. Flexible choice of oscillation frequency permits measurement in a quiet region of the noise spectrum. Reference waveforms acquired with the same insturment can be stored and later used to deconvolute a more complex spectrum. The use of multiple detector/slit combinations along a Rowland circle makes the spectrometer sensitive to specific atomic elements.

Abstract: A spectrometer that determines a spectral correlation between an optical signal and a reference spectra over a broad spectral range while maintaining a relatively high resolution. The spectrometer uses a mask that has high resolution slits at wavelengths corresponding to the reference spectra. Relative oscillatory movement is induced between the mask and the imaged spectra of the optical signal is induced and the light passing through the slits is collected by an optical sensor. A lock-in amplifier monitors a signal from the optical sensor as well as a signal representative of the oscillatory movement and determines a correlation between them.

Abstract: The present invention is a device for generating high power microwave pulses using a nonlinear dispersive transmission line connected by a switch means to a source cable means and a high voltage source. The closing of the switch means sends an electrical pulse propagating from the source cable means through the transmission line. The pulse decomposes into a short, high power pulse of microwaves which consists of an array of solitons. The output of the line may be coupled into an antenna, wave guide or other load.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for merging of tokamak plasmas, having applications including pseudo steady-state tokamak operation, refueling, impurity removal and plasma heating. In such systems, currents of two merging tokamak plasmas are provided in the same direction so that the plasma columns attract each other, and the merging of the plasmas is carried out under the control of appropriate guiding fields.

Abstract: A switch arrangement for interruption of an electrical current in a circuit with a large self-induction. One application of the switch arrangement is for systems where energy stored in an inductor is to be transferred to a load. In this case, the switch arrangement is coupled in parallel with the load. The switch arrangement consists of a current interrupting means and a plurality of thyristors being connected in series in their forward direction. A circuit comprised of a plurality of serially connected sets of a resistor and a nonlinear element is connected in parallel with the serially connected current interrupting means and thyristors, the nonlinear element impeding flow of current through it when the voltage, or the time integral of the voltage thereacross is small, and more fully allowing current to flow therethrough when the voltage, or the time integral of the voltage is large. One of the resistor-nonlinear element sets is associated with one of the thyristors.