Analysis of end-loss ion flux for application studies of the plasma flow from the end mirror exit of GAMMA 10

The end-loss ion flux in GAMMA 10 is measured with a view to use it for a divertor simulation experiment or other studies that require high-performance plasma flux. First, the basic parameters of the end-loss ion flux, such as its energy and current density, were measured in typical plasma shots in GAMMA 10. A diagnostic device, the end loss ion energy analyzer (ELIEA), was used to the measure these parameters. An investigation of the relationship between the parameters of the end-loss ion flux and the plasma parameters in the central- cell revealed linear-like relationships between these parameters. We also analyzed the effects of plasma heating and fueling by using devices installed in GAMMA 10 (ion cyclotron resonance frequency (ICRF), electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) and supersonic molecular beam injection (SMBI)) in order to generate more intense ion flux. The results showed that the energy distribution of the ion flux is more closely resembles a double component Maxwellian than a simple Maxwellian. Plasma heating schemes such as ECRH and ICRF are found to be effective for the generation of a more intense ion flux. (author)