UCLA Plasma and Environmental Physics Laboratory Projects

(under construction)

RF Plasma Torch

Radio frequency generated plasma creates high temperatures to destroy hazardous wastes. The system is electrodeless, operates at high pressure, and has high throughput. Operation at atmospheric pressure and 70 kW input power has been demonstrated at the torch located at the HIPAS facility. The design goal is 100 kW continuous operation.

High Pressure Plasma Centrifuge

The Plasma centrifuge at UCLA uses a superconducting 30 kG magnet and is driven by a 15 kW, 3 kV power supply. Operation at 700 torr has been demonstrated. Crossed E and B fields cause the plasma to spin up to km/sec.

Isotope Separation

The Plasma Enrichment Process (PEP) is based on the Dawson isotope separation process. The process uses Ion Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ICRH) to selectively energize one isotope. Collection is accomplished by discriminating high energy particles from low energy particles. The simplest collectors select those particles with a large cyclotron orbit.

The device at UCLA creates a high density plasma with a 2 kW 10 GHz electron cyclotron resonance source. The separation is carried out in a uniform magnetic field region of about 6 kG. The plasma diameter is about 10 cm and the working length is about 1 meter.

The first isotope to be separated is calcium. Various calcium isotopes are used medically for studies of nutrition, osteoporosis, lactation, bone disease, and diabetes.

Basic Plasma Physics Experiments

• Beam Plasma and Caviton Collapse Experiments
• Dusty Plasma Charging and Confinement
• Radio Frequency Heating of Plasma
• Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF)

Ozone Remediation

Effects of adding charges to the upper atmosphere

Staff:

• Prof. Alfred Wong
• Ralph Wuerker
• Glenn Rosenthal
• Rudy Suchannek
• Tommy Thompson
• Helio Zwi
• Martin Simon
• Mike McFarland
• Marvin Dandrell

Back to Plasma Lab Home Page
To HIPAS

Back to UCLA Physics Department home page