Progress on the ORNL high power, high particle flux helicon hydrogen plasma source

A high power, high particle flux helicon plasma source has been constructed at ORNL. This electrode-less, high ionization fraction RF plasma source is a short pulse ($\leq$ 3 s) prototype that will provide data needed to design a long pulse version for incorporation into in a high power flux ($\sim$ 20 MW/m$^{2}$) linear plasma-surface interaction (PSI) test stand. The source will produce high density hydrogen and deuterium plasmas with density $>$10$^{19}$ m$^{-3}$, and total ion production $\geq$ 10$^{21}$s$^{-1}$. It consists of a 1.3 m long, 15 cm diameter vacuum chamber, with a helical antenna transmitting rf power at f= 10-26 MHz through a cylindrical aluminum nitride (AlN) vacuum window 30 cm in length, and four circular coils creating an axial magnetic field with $|B| \leq$ 0.8T. Results of initial operation will be presented.