Magnetized Plasma Experiments Using Thermionic- Thermoelectronic Plasma Emitter

We are developing a magnetic mirror device, which is the first magnetized plasma device in Taiwan, to explore basic plasma sciences relevant to fusion, space and astrophysical plasmas. Our research subjects include electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), Alfven wave physics, and plasma turbulence. A large diameter ($>$ 200 mm) plasma emitter1, which utilizes thermionic- thermoelectronic emission from a mixture of LaB6 (Lanthanum-hexaboride) and beta-eucryptite (lithium type aluminosylicate) powders, is employed as a plasma source because of its production ability of fully ionized plasma and controllability of plasma emission rate. The plasma emitter has been installed recently and investigation of its characteristics will be started. The employment of beta-eucryptite in plasma emitter is the first experimental test because such investigation of beta-eucryptite has previously been used only for Li+-ion source2. Our plan for magnetized plasma experiments and results of the plasma emitter investigation will be presented. 1. K. Saeki, S. Iizuka, N. Sato, and Y. Hatta, Appl. Phys. Lett., 37, 1980, pp. 37-38. 2. M. Ueda, R. R. Silva, R. M. Oliveira, H. Iguchi, J. Fujita and K. Kadota, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 30 1997, pp. 2711--2716.