Xe effect on the parameters of a 3He isotopic gas reactor plasma

In order to study impurity effect on the parameters of a reactor plasma, experimental and theoretical investigations are carried out of the Xe effect on thermal conductivity and density of plasma produced by the 3He(n,p)3H reaction products. The experiments were performed in the central channel of the WWR-K stationary reactor core. Plasma diagnostics was accomplished by three probes (two cylindrical and one flat). Gases under investigation filled capsules up to the pressures 25, 50 and 100 torr. The 3He - to -Xe ratio varied from 100 to 50%. Plasma parameters were calculated depending on the value of thermal neutron flux, mixture pressure and Xe concentration. The calculated values of plasma parameters were determined by solution of the set of kinetic and charge balance equations. At all levels of neutron fluxes, a strong dependence of plasma density on the quantity of xenon added was found. An assumption that plasma density remains unchanged (when substituting xenon for 3He) has not been confirmed