Thermionic emission of a tungsten surface in high heat flux plasma: PIC simulations

Abstract

The surface temperature of a tungsten surface facing hot hydrogen plasma is evaluated, thanks to 1d/3v particle-in-cell simulations in floating wall conditions. At each iteration, the plasma heat flux to the cathode is equalized with the outgoing one, which is due to thermionic emission, surface radiation, and heat conduction through the wall. The thermal conductivity is chosen within the range 35–160 W m−1 K−1 in the different simulations in order to take into account the surface condition. A transition from a cold temperature surface to a hot one arises for a critical thermal conductivity, whose value depends on the plasma parameters. This transition is very abrupt and leads to a space charge limited regime where the thermionic current penetrating the plasma has reached its maximal value and is about three times the Bohm current. Changing the initial conditions in the code, more particularly, the timing of electron emission, can lead to a very different final surface temperature. This history effect and the associated hysteresis are evidenced by means of fluid calculations, which are in a good agreement with the simulation results as well as with previous experimental measurements.