TCSU Experiment
The original Translation, Confinement, Sustainment
(TCS) experiment was upgraded [TCS Upgrade (TCSU)]
to provide an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) environment with
modern discharge cleaning and wall-coating technologies.
This has allowed rotating magnetic field formed
field reversed configuration plasma temperatures to increase
from the TCS radiation-dominated tens of electron
volts to >200 eV (Te+Ti), and FRC magnetic fields
to double. The improvements are directly attributable to
reduced impurity levels and reduced plasma recycling
losses. Some of the technologies utilized to achieve these
results included replacing O-rings with wire and conflat
seals; developing high-temperature, differentially pumped,
elastomeric seals for bonding extremely large quartz tubes
(needed for rapid field penetration) to the stainless steel
vacuum chambers; and using heater blankets for vacuum
baking. Extensive testing using electron microprobe and
various spectroscopic techniques was performed to establish
appropriate UHVcleaning and handling methods.
For more information, see this recent paper.
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