DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, AND PROPERTIES OF THE LARGE PLASMA RESEARCH DEVICE - THE LAPD AT UCLA

The large plasma research device (LAPD), a large, linear plasma research device designed to study space plasma processes, has been constructed at UCLA over the past four years. The LAPD has a 0.5 x 0.5 m2 oxide-coated cathode as a source which produces a 10-m-long plasma column with densities up to the mid 10(12)/cm3 range. The linear machine is surrounded by a set of 68 magnet coils which can generate an axial magnetic field of up to 3000 G. The vacuum chamber has 128 radial ports to ensure excellent access for probes and antennas. An internal probe drive capable of moving a set of probes to any position within the plasma column is described in a companion paper. This machine is a scientific instrument in its own right and was designed to be versatile enough to study a large variety of phenomena. The techniques employed in the design and construction are sufficiently useful to be discussed here so that others can benefit from our experience.