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During a week-long visit to the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Greifswald, researchers from the IPPLM performed intensive work related to the preparation of PHA diagnostics developed in the Institute for the next experimental campaign on the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator (www.ipp.mpg.de/w7x).

One of the PHA detectors was equipped with an additional collimator in order to reduce the photon flux reaching its surface. Moreover, work was carried out to eliminate false peaks in the PHA spectrum, which were related to part of the diagnostics electronics. The improved system will then be used to measure X-ray spectra from the W7-X plasma in a cooled carbon divertor configuration. The next experimental campaign is scheduled for the second half of 2022.

The Wendelstein 7-X Stellarator is located at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Greifswald, Germany. The experimental fusion reactor was first put into operation in 2015. It is currently the largest device of this type worldwide. This project aims to investigate the concept of magnetic plasma retention as an alternative to the tokamak. The international team of researchers from many research institutes all over the world, including the IPPLM, is involved.

Photo: © IFPiLM

The guests of the Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion on 14 July 2021 were Mirosław Zientarzewski, director of the National Museum of Technology in Warsaw, and Paweł Gogolewski, specialist in substantive matters of the Museum.

The visit began with a meeting with the IPPLM management. The guests watched a film describing the activities of the Institute. Representatives of both institutions discussed, among others, the possibility of cooperation in organizing events popularizing science, including disseminating information on nuclear fusion, as well as the transfer to the Museum of historical devices used by researchers in the Institute.

The presentation of research infrastructure and equipment in the IPPLM was another point of the visit. Participants of the meeting saw, among others, the PF-1000U system, one of the world's largest plasma focus devices, and also visited the Laboratory of Plasma Nudge for Satellites, the Laboratory of High Power Lasers, the GEM Detectors Laboratory and the Laboratory of Laser-Induced Plasma Spectroscopy.

Photo: © IPPLM

In April 2021 the group led by dr Jacek Kurzyna of the Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion completed the High Impulse Krypton Hall Effect Thruster (HIKHET) project (funded by the European Space Agency in the scope of Polish Industry Incentive Scheme programme), which was aimed to develop a high specific impulse version of the IPPLM’s 500 W class Hall plasma thruster operated with krypton propellant.

Hall thruster fed with krypton and working in PlaNS Laboratory

Specific impulse, i.e. the impulse per one kilogram of the propellant, is a measure of how effectively the propellant available onboard of a satellite is utilized. Since almost all of the new satellites are equipped with a propulsion system which allows them to carry out orbital maneuvers to extend their mission and to finally deorbit, it is the amount of available propellant onboard which largely determines the lifetime of the satellite.

During the 3 years of the project, in the Plasma Nudge for Satellites (PlaNS) Laboratory the initial version of the thruster (developed in the scope of the earlier KLIMT project) was enhanced and extensively tested, new diagnostics of the emitted plasma beam were implemented (Faraday Cup and Retarding Potential Analyzer), and an entirely new thruster was designed relying on the results from magnetic field modelling and thermal simulations. The final version of the thruster was tested in a wide range of operating parameters (type of propellant, mass flow rate, discharge voltage, magnetic field strength), showing an increase of the specific impulse from 1400 s to 2600 s and simultaneous efficiency improvement from 20% to 34% (for krypton). Moreover, the new design resulted in operating temperature lower by 100^oC and mass reduced by 30%. The achieved performance allows to compete with other Hall thruster of similar power, and makes the IPPLM’s thruster unique in the way of specific impulse production.

Specific impulse as a function of discharge power – comparison of KLIMT and HIKHET thrusters with other Hall thrusters described in literature (data for krypton)

Figures: © IPPLM

In February this year, one of the IPPLM staff, namely Dr. Katarzyna Batani, was appointed Editor-in-Chief of Laser and Particle Beams. LPB is an international journal which deals with basic physical issues of intense laser and particle beams, and the interaction of these beams with matter. The subjects covered include the physics of high energy densities, non-LTE phenomena, hot dense matter and related atomic, plasma and hydrodynamic physics and astrophysics, intense sources of coherent radiation, high current particle accelerators, beam-wave interaction, as well as research on pulsed power technology associated with beam generation.

Currently, the journal is going through a transition phase including changes in the Editorial Board and editorial politics. It is expected that this transformation will strengthen the position of the journal in the scientific environment and increase its impact. A vital part of it is providing researchers with fast, constructive, and excellent review of their papers.

Source: www.hindawi.com

The Royal Society of Chemistry awarded our employee Dr. Paweł Gąsior a distinction as an active reviewer of articles in the Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry. Based on the number, timeliness and quality of reports, which Dr. Gąsior prepared in 2020, he was awarded the title of Outstanding Reviewer for JAAS.

Congratulations!

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