12/7/11

Resonance Cones in a Plasma
initial run of new antenna

8/22/11

start run with new electric field plasma cone probe

9/21/10

stop run

9/18/10

measured probe and antenna dimensions
find k(perp) at different densities in duct
start run

9/11/10

collect ducted whistler wave data

8/9/10

change broken port
collect data on plasma ducting and whistler waves at bias 50v, 20X10^(-3) Torr, He gas
Use both Helium and Argon gases
Use medium size disk obstruction to make duct
analyze data

8/7/10

collect data on plasma ducting and whistler waves
Use both Helium and Argon gases
Use medium size disk obstruction to make duct
analyze data

7/10/10

collect data on plasma ducting and whistler waves
analyze data

12/29/09

Watch Avatar
analyze whistler wave data
prepare for talks
repair rf wave generator

12/28/09

analyze whistler wave data
prepare for talks
repair rf wave generator

12/26/09

analyze whistler wave data
prepare for talks
lecture Fourier Analysis

12/24/09

analyze whistler wave data
prepare for talks

12/23/09

analyze whistler wave data
prepare for talks

10/17/09

take whistler wave data
prepare for talks

10/10/09

take whistler wave data

10/3/09

take whistler wave data

9/26/09

take whistler wave data
lecture

9/19/09

Rebuild axial and rotational probe motor mounts
Reconfigure LabView
Rebuild whistler wave probe Amy/Chloe
take whistler wave data

9/12/09

Rebuild axial and rotational probe motor mounts
take whistler wave data

9/4/09

Emissive Probe - Roland & Kevin
Capacitor filter bank for ETPD heater - Chloe & Amy
Organstraw probe - Jane, Amy, Chloe (Pat et al.)

8/29/09

Fix motor drive units on probe robot
Organstraw probe - Jane, Amy, Chloe (Pat et al.)
Walter - Lecture on wave equation
fixed Laptag B-dot probe (added splint)

8/15/09

Take more data from whistler wave probe.
Labview malfunctioned, so took data by hand.
70 positions at 5 different angles for 3D data plotting

8/8/09

Take data from whistler wave probe. Data in gallery
Angular Data plotted in IDL.
Whistler wave plotted versus time. (3D movie)

8/1/09

Take data from whistler wave probe.
Took the first set of data of Whistler probe and entered into IDL arrays
Plotted position vs. time of whistler wave.

7/25/09

Continue construction of whistler wave probe. Replace turbo pump. Finish amplifiers. Work on NI software
Whistler wave probe placed into machine
Launcher installed

7/18/09

Continue construction of whistler wave probe.
Work on Labview software

7/11/09

Construct whistler wave probe
Construct whistler wave launcher

6/27/09

Lecture on electronics including inductors
Make circuit boards

6/20/09

Lecture on electronics including capacitors
Make circuit boards

5/23/08

New students practice operation of experimental equipment

5/2/08

AAPT at Cal State Channel Islands, Broom Library
Link to AAPT Student Presentation PDF

4/25/08

From analyzed data at 80 and 40 amps, found drift at 80 microseconds after shutoff of RF source
Organized speakers for AAPT lecture
Practiced lecture for AAPT meeting next week

4/11/08-4/18/08

Analyzed 80 and 40 Amp data using IDL
Generated 3D graphs of drifts and mach numbers for a 2D plane
Created slide show presentation for AAPT meeting

4/4/08

Took 80 and 40 Amp, magnetic field, data for drift probe from plasma device
Lecture preparatation for talk at AAPT May 2, 2009

3/29/09

Analyzed 40 Amp, magnetic field, data for drift probe.
Lecture on velocity of drift

3/22/09

Drift data at 40 amp

3/8/09

Collected plasma drift data with new probe.
Programmed data analysis in IDL

2/21/09

Lecture by Dr. Gekelman
Cross Products
Placed new probe into plasma machine

2/14/09

Finished new plasma drift probe - attached ceramics and tantalum wires
Attached fan onto electronics box for the probe drive
Placed probe into plasma chamber

2/7/09

Began building new probe for plasma drift
Connected lemo connectors and soldered together coax cables
Modified electronics box for probe drive

1/31/09

Presentation at Occidental College Physics Teachers' Meeting
Photos in gallery

1/24/09

Mock talks for presentation at Occidental College

1/17/09

Prepare for presentation at Occidental College
Took data for the Ioniztion energy of Helium

1/10/09

Took data for ionization energy of argon (15.76 eV roughly)
Plotted data to see how close we were to true value
Presentation at Occidental College on plasma machine, langmuir curve data, electron beam, etc.

1/3/09

Completed profile of electron beam

1/2/09

New thinner filament is in operation.

12/30/08

Repaired tungsten beam source with thicker tungsten. Did not get hot enough.

12/14-12/21

Created plasma beam in chamber
Detected beam in ambient plasma
Plotted 3D models of density, pressure, plasma potential of argon plasma
New voltage source used for Electron Beam

12/06-12/13

Graphed 3D version of temperature vs. position inside the plasma
Temperature was reasonable- followed normal trends
Fixed electron beam probe
There was a short in copper wires in electron beam probe
Replaced probe with a new one
New one mounted on chamber for testing next week (100v)
Vp and Ne graphs next week as well
Calculate standard deviations with 10 shot graph for next week also

11/22-11/29-Roland Hwang, Max Praglin, Amy Lee, Andrea Leal, Robin Wong

Lecture on data Aliasing by Dr. Gekelman
More sets of data at different angles in the plasma
Rotational Gear works fine
IDL server was done, but back up on 11/29
Taking 10 shots at every point with 20 shot average (160 different points along z axis)
Use these to calculate standard deviation and error for probe
For the future: we need to test to see if our window has any effect on the magnetic field because it is not metal
Worked on IDL program

11/08-11/15-Roland Hwang, Max Praglin, Evan Warfel, Amy Lee, Aly Lodge, Rachel Biniaz

Lecture on Fourier Analysis by Dr. Gekelman
Two sets of data each day
Needed a New Gear for Rotational Axis
(Sometime during week - new gear was replaced)

11/01/08- Roland Hwang, Max Praglin, Evan Warfel, Rachel Biniaz, Amy Lee, Aly Lodge

Lecture by Dr. Gekelman on temperature and density (distribution functions)
Took data in machine
IDL Program needs to be adjusted so that it can read different voltage sweep times
Must create an algorithm to cut out ends of data that are unnecessary

10/25/08- Roland Hwang, Max Praglin, Evan Warfel, Rachel Biniaz, Amy Lee, Aly Lodge

Measured degrees/division on the radial motor
IDL Program Compiled with Dr. Gekelman's program
Took more lines of data in machine

10/11/08-10/18/08- Roland Hwang, Max Praglin, Evan Warfel, Rachel Biniaz, Amy Lee, Aly Lodge

Ran IDL program by Walter
IDL program gave values that seemed reasonable
plasmatemp.pro IDL program is now used as subroutine of readlap.pro
Need to collect new data
Radial motors

10/4/08 - Roland Hwang, Max Praglin, Evan Warfel, Rachel Biniaz

Ran another date line in plasma machine.
Worked on IDL program
Now we have 3 best fit lines and most of the values.
Need to still calculate density

August-September 2008- Roland Hwang, Max Praglin, Evan Warfel, Rachel Biniaz, Aly Lodge, Shawn Feldman

Interfacing computer to probe completed.

Controlled probe with Measurement and Automation Explorer
Labview program adapted and debugged (scope synchronized with motors)
Began IDL program to calculate electron temperature, plasma potential, floating potential, plasma densities, and ion/electron saturation currents from Langmuir Curves

7/30/08- Evan Warfel, Kevin Kuns, Roland Hwang, Max Praglin, Rachel Biniaz, Aly Lodge, Shawn Feldman

Lecture on measuring electron temperature in a plasma.

7/26/08 - Roland Hwang, Kevin Kuns, Jane Shin, Max Dornfest, Francesca Corley

Lecture on treating plasmas as fluids, and Maxwell's Equations

7/22/08 - Roland Hwang, Kevin Kuns

Limit switches / probe construction finished

7/15/08 - Roland Hwang, Jane Shin, Rachel Biniaz

Install limit switches for probe drive

7/12/08 - Roland Hwang, Max Praglin, Kevin Kuns, Rachel Biniaz, Jane Shin, Max Dornfest

Lecture by Dr. Gekelman

Lecture covered treating plasmas as fluids, and Maxwell's Equations

Tested probe drive.

7/5/08 - Roland Hwang, Rachel Biniaz, Jane Shin, Max Dornfest

Lecture By Dr. Gekelman

Probe Drive Wiring Completed. Running software to run probe drive.

May 2008-June 2008 - Max Praglin, Roland Hwang, Evan Warfel, Kevin Kuns, Gabriella Rosales, Amy Lee

- worked on control box wiring and machining

December 2007 - April 2008 - Max Praglin, Roland Hwang, Evan Warfel, Kevin Kuns

- completed design for probe drive

- ordered parts for probe drive

- worked in machine shop to fabricate components of probe drive

October-November 2007 - Max Praglin, Roland Hwang, Evan Warfel, Kevin Kuns

- worked on IDL Program to convert data formats

- worked on designs for probe drive and stand

- cleaned leaking O-ring

- troubleshoot new oscilloscope

See Probe Construction for more detail

9/29/07

Lecture by Dr. Walter Gekelman -- 10:00 AM

Max Praglin, Kevin Kuns, Joe Weichman

Lecture covered distribution function of plasma and its seven dimensions. Temperature, density, and plasma potential derived from distribution function.

9/15/2007

Lecture by Dr. Walter Gekelman (see 9/29/07)

Max Praglin, Evan Warfel

8/25/2007

Lecture on Plasma Physics by Dr. Walter Gekelman -- 10:00 AM

Yulin Quing, Roland Hwang, Kevin Kuns, Evan Warfel, Joe Weichman

Lecture covered the four fundamental forces (strong, electromagnetic, weak, gravitational), energy potential, plasma potential, electric potential, an electric field, and the langmuir curve diagram.

8/18/2007

Yulin Quing, Roland Hwang, Kevin Kuns, Joe Weichman

Discuss new experiment.

8/11/2007

Evan Warfel, Yulin Qing, Roland Hwang, Kevin Kuns

August 11th 2007 Speed of PlasmaA.xls

Radial Data.xls

8/09/2007

Kevin Kuns, Max Praglin

August 9th 2007 Speed of Plasma A.xls

Magnetic Field Inside Plasma Chamber

Plot of magnetic field at 45 Amperes.

Observations: Arrows flow away from plasma source. (Note: the link may need to be refreshed once to work).

Code for a program that calculates the magnetic field strength at a list of points throughout the plasma chamber. b_list.c

Magnetic field every 1cm throughout plasma chamber at 45 Amperes. Calculated from above program. b_field_45.txt

Description of the calculation of the magnetic field. bfield.pdf

8/8/2007

Evan Warfel, Joe Weichman, Max Praglin

Second meeting to discuss / plan probe drive system accurate to 1/100 millimeter

-Worm gear for linear motion

-Boston Gear Reducers for small increments

-Stepper motors controlling gear system: controlled by LabView

8/04/2007

Kevin Kuns, Max Praglin, Roland Hwang, Evan Warfel, Joe Weichman, William McKethen

August 4th 2007 Speed of PlasmaA.xls

Observations: As pressure in the chamber decreases, the speed of plasma increases. In general, the speed of plasma increases as it moves away from the plasma source.

7/30/07

Kevin Kuns, Max Praglin

July 30th 2007 Speed of PlasmaME.xls

July 30th 2007 Axial Voltage MeasurementsME.xls

July 30 Axial Voltage Graph_.jpg

Observations: took over 200 density and velocity measurements

7/28/07

Lecture on Current / RMS Velocity, by Dr. Gekelman

7/21/2007

Created Plasma Lab Wiki

Installed LabVIEW (Joe Weichman)

Data on the density of the plasma versus position in the chamber, close to the plasma source and in the center of the chamber.

data in Excel format

July 21st 2007 Peter Choo.xls

Current Experiments