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Journal Articles Physics of Plasmas Year : 2019

E × B configurations for high-throughput plasma mass separation: An outlook on possibilities and challenges

Abstract

High-throughput plasma separation based on atomic mass holds promise for offering unique solutions to a variety of high-impact societal applications. Through the mass differential effects they exhibit, crossed-field configurations can in principle be exploited in various ways to separate ions based on atomic mass. Here, we review some of the E x B mass filter concepts proposed to date and underline how the practicality of these concepts is conditioned upon the ability to sustain a suitable perpendicular electric field in a plasma for parameters compatible with high-throughput operation. We show that while the limited present predictive capabilities do not make it possible to confirm this possibility, past experimental results suggest that end-electrode biasing may be effective, at least for certain electric field values. We conclude that a better understanding of cross-field conductivity is needed to confirm these results and confirm the potential of crossed-field configurations for high-throughput separation. Published under license by AIP Publishing.

Dates and versions

hal-02149625 , version 1 (06-06-2019)

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Cite

R Gueroult, Stewart Zweben, Nathaniel Fisch, J.-M. Rax. E × B configurations for high-throughput plasma mass separation: An outlook on possibilities and challenges. Physics of Plasmas, 2019, 26 (4), pp.043511. ⟨10.1063/1.5083229⟩. ⟨hal-02149625⟩
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