RF Hollow Feeder for ITER Diagnostic Mirrors Cleaning System:

Breakdown Risk Assessment

1D. Samsonov, 1S. Masyukevich, 3Al. Chernakov, 1A. Dmitriev, 1N. Babinov, 4A. Smirnov, 1A. Razdobarin, 1E. Mukhin, 5A. Kamshilin, 2P. Shigin,
1A. Bazhenov, 1I. Bukreev, 3An. Chernakov, 1A. Koval, 1G. Kurskiev, 1A. Litvinov, 1V. Solovey, 1S. Tolstyakov, 3I. Tereschenko, 2R. Reichle, 2M. Walsh
16th International
Conference on
1Ioffe
Institute, St.-Petersburg, 194021, Russia Plasma Surface
Engineering
2ITER Organization, Cadarache, 13067, St.-Paul-Lez-Durance, France
September 17-21,
3Spectral-Tech, JSC, 194223, St.-Petersburg, Russia 2018, Garmisch-
Partenkirchen,
4Peter the Great St.-Petersburg Polytechnic University, St.-Petersburg, 195251, Russia Germany

5Ferrite, JSC, Voronezh, 394066, Russia

E-mail: d.samsonov@mail.ioffe.ru

Cleaning the First Mirrors of ITER Optical Diagnostics Multipactor to Gas Breakdown Transition Simulation
Diagnostic Shield Module - More than 30 optical diagnostics being developed for ITER
contain plasma-faced mirrors which require periodic cleaning
- Capacitively coupled RF discharge is a primary candidate
approach to periodic mirror recovery in ITER [1]
- RF power of up to 1 kW@10...100 MHz is required to drive
the RF discharge for cleaning
- Current feeding concept basing on mineral insulated (MI)
cables looks not fully satisfactory in all cases
- Hollow rigid feeder is one of the
alternative solutions
First Mirrors

RF Feeder Path Route

ITER Optical Diagnostic System inside Diagnostic Shield Module 50Ω RF MI Cable

RF Breakdown Problem in Mirror Cleaning Applications

- Power handling capability, being one of the design Outer conductor
drivers for hollow feeder, is limited by risk of RF RF junction box cavity
Dielectric spacer
breakdown RF pre-match
- Complex RF cavities which may appear unavoidable box
in design are also subject to breakdown
- RF components of Mirror Cleaning system have to
operate in harsh environment: gas pressure of Mirror
Inner conductor holder
0.1...20 Pa, B-field up to 5 T, DC-biased conductors,
complex 3D structure incorporating conductive and
Rigid Hollow Feeder
dielectric materials, background temperature, ionizing
radiation. Water cooling pipes

RF Cavity in FMU design

RF Breakdown Physics and Solution Approach
General breakdown curve for Ar [2]
- Main reason for RF breakdown in the conditions of
interest is considered to be the electron count avalanche capability of system to produce electrons, hence
growth due to secondary emission from walls and gas
volume ionization
- Electron count evolution can be analyzed using the
equation:
𝑑𝑁
= 𝜈𝑁 + 𝐺
𝑑𝑡
𝑁 – total electron count in the calculation volume
𝐺 – external electrons flow
𝜈 – total effective electrons production rate due to both pressure and temperature.
gas ionization and secondary electrons emission (SEE)
Solving with Monte-Carlo Simulation
The problem was solved using Monte-Carlo method by tracing the electrons one-by-one.
Model fetaures:
- Electrons trajectories are traced in 3d3v space in
coaxial geometry with Newton equations. Motion
force depends on time and space-resolved E and B
fields.
- Secondary electron emission model [3] provides:
-- energy and angular secondary electrons yield
(SEY) dependence
-- distinguishes inelastically scattered, backward
scattered and true secondary electrons
- Arbitrary set of electrons cross-sections for
different scattering preocesses can be used:
- Electron free time is calculated using null-collision
technique:
− ln 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑑
∆𝑡 =
𝑣 𝜎𝑇 𝑁𝑔𝑎𝑠
Assumptions:
- Electrons space charge can be neglected since
their volume density is very low
- Gas particles velocities are small and negligible
for electron-neutral scattering calculations
- Background gas volume density remains constant
- Electron motion is an ergodic process
- Electron energy values belong to fixed (but tunable) bounds
- The breakdown region for gases of interest
(H2 isotopes, He, Ne, Ar and their mixtures)
significantly overlaps with the area of
expected operating points of the RF
components
- The available experimental data do not
cover all the regimes and conditions of
interest
- Analytical solution is also known only for
limited simple cases: especially in presence
of external of B-field
- This can be overcomed by simulation. Also,
simulation is useful to avoid experiments
which are costful.
- Known simulation software does not take
into account all required ITER conditions
- The RF breakdown problem can be stated as the
𝑑𝑁
the breakdown criteria is >0
𝑑𝑡
- Considering 𝜏 as mean electron lifetime, and 𝛾
as the number of secondary electrons produced
by the primary during its lifetime, the production
ln 𝛾
rate can be expressed as 𝜈 = . The breakdown
𝜏
criteria can be thus reformulated as 𝛾 > 1.
- The task so is to calculate 𝛾 for given geometry,
RF E-field configuration, external B-field, gas type,
RF Breakdown DSMC Simulation Workflow
- Multipactor to gas ionization RF breakdown transition area revealed with code simulation, which is in
good agreement with experiment reported in [4]. This can be treated as an initial code validation result
- In general, the behavior of the simulated RF breakdown curves without B-field corresponds to
analytical predictions and experimental data [5]
- First simulations of RF breakdown in presence of B-field show shifting of the breakdown region in
comparison to the case without B-field
- The last result still should be understood, however. More code validation should be done to eliminate
the possibility of failure due to non-optimal simulation parameters
- A common idea that low pressure RF breakdown can be suppressed simply by reducing the gap may
appear untrue in ITER conditions, because of the need to work both in the presence of B-field, and
without it
Pure Multipactor Breakdown Simulation
- Results depend significantly on SEY curve
- No reliable SEY data exists for ITER-relevant
conditions: non-atomically clean surface due to
relatively low vacuum
- Selected materials/surface coatings for space
industry [7] are well characterized but some of them
are not applicable for ITER (Ag, Au, Al2024 alloy)
and applicability of others is not clear for now
(Alodine, Oxygen-free Cu)
- For use in final calculations, the SEY curve of the
selected materials for the RF components design
should be measured directly in the ITER-relevant
conditions (residual pressure, aging, expected
types of contamination)
Summary & Outlook
Multipactor effect for 7/8” coaxial line
Summary
- Proof-of-concept Monte-Carlo code for RF breakdown simulation released, including:
-- 3d3v electrons tracing in coaxial geometry in
-- volume gas ionization and walls SEE
- First benchmarks on published experimental data were performed in wide f, P, d ranges, good
agreement achieved
- First results of breakdown simulation in presence of B-field in ITER-relevant transitional conditions
presented
- The code presented is usable for qualitative breakdown assessment. Comprehensive experimental
technique is recommended to calibrate simulation parameters for quantitive assesments enabling
Outlook
- Arbitrary 3D geometry support
- Consider E-field disturbance due to dielectric surfaces charging
- Gas mixtures and multiple walls materials support
- Consider slow ions space charge and ion-electron emission
- Further validation and experimental verification in ITER-relevant conditions, including B-field up to 3T
References
[1] Dmitriev, A. M., et al. "In situ plasma cleaning of ITER diagnostic mirrors in noble-gas RF discharge."
Physica Scripta T170 (2017): 014072
[2] Muehe C. E. “AC breakdown in gases.” – Massach. Inst. of Tech. LEXINGTON LINCOLN (1965)
[3] Furman M. A., Pivi M. T. F. “Probabilistic model for the simulation of secondary electron emission.”
Phys. Rev. Spec. Topics - Accelerators and Beams Т5 (2002) 124404
[4] Höhn F. et al. “The transition of a multipactor to a low-pressure gas discharge.” Phys. Plasmas.Т4
(1997) pp. 940-944
[5] Lisovskiy, V. A., & Yegorenkov, V. D.”Rf breakdown of low-pressure gas and a novel method for
determination of electron-drift velocities in gases.” J. Phys. D: Applied Physics, 31(23), 3349
[6] Woo R. “Final report on RF voltage breakdown in coaxial transmission lines.” Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 1970. LAB, 1965. – №. TR-380.
[7] ECSS-E-20-01A “Space engineering. Multipaction design and test.” Rev.1.1 March 2013

Acknowledgements: This report supported in part by Rosatom (contract H.4a.241.19.18.1027) and ITER Organization (contract IO/17/CT/4300001626).
It was prepared as an account of work for the ITER Organization. The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the ITER Organization.