Measurement of the Tix ion density in aθ-pinch plasma by a laser heterodyne quadrature interferometer

Abstract

The increase in the radial line integral of the electron density in the National Bureau of Standards 8-pinch plasma due to the ionization of the titanium impurity has been measured with the use of a He-Ne laser heterodyne quadrature interferometer.Titanium is injected as an impurity into the base gas of hydrogen with the use of a coaxial gun discharge between titanium electrodes. The Tix ion density at its peak abundance in the plasma is deduced in each discharge from the measured increase in electron density by knowing the temporal charge-state distribution of Ti ions with the use of spectroscopy and assuming charge neutrality.