Automatic model control and switching system developed for multielement plasma diagnostics

The pulsed ionization chamber (PIC) plasma diagnostic system, used in an ongoing study of nuclear seeded plasma kinetics at the University of Florida, continues to be upgraded. Most recently, the technique has been applied to evaluating the ionization production and loss characteristics of a series of candidate gases and processes, including fissioning UF6, for possible use with gas core nuclear reactor/magnetohydrodynamic space power concepts under study. The system currently in use, is not only computer based, including automatic experimental system control and data acquisition, but also includes on-line data processing, graphic analysis, and hard-copy output of final results