Lynn Alan G, Gilmore Mark, Watts Christopher, Herrea Janis, Kelly Ralph, Will Steve, Xie Shuangwei, Yan Lincan, Zhang Yue
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA.
Rev Sci Instrum. 2009 Oct;80(10):103501. doi: 10.1063/1.3233938.
The HelCat (Helicon-Cathode) device has been constructed to support a broad range of basic plasma science experiments relevant to the areas of solar physics, laboratory astrophysics, plasma nonlinear dynamics, and turbulence. These research topics require a relatively large plasma source capable of operating over a broad region of parameter space with a plasma duration up to at least several milliseconds. To achieve these parameters a novel dual-source system was developed utilizing both helicon and thermionic cathode sources. Plasma parameters of n(e) approximately 0.5-50 x 10(18) m(-3) and T(e) approximately 3-12 eV allow access to a wide range of collisionalities important to the research. The HelCat device and initial characterization of plasma behavior during dual-source operation are described.