Heavy component of spent nuclear fuel: Efficiency of model-substance ionization by electron-induced discharge

• Published in: Physics of atomic nuclei Vol. 79; no. 14; pp. 1625 - 1631
• Main Authors: Antonov, N. N., Gavrikov, A. V., Samokhin, A. A., Smirnov, V. P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01.12.2016; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS; Computer simulation; CONCENTRATION RATIO; CURRENT DENSITY; Discharge; EFFICIENCY; ELECTRIC DISCHARGES; ELECTRON DENSITY; ELECTRONS; FUEL CANS; Gas Discharge and Plasma Physics; IONIZATION; LEAD; Nuclear energy; Nuclear environmental management; Nuclear fuels; Nuclear industry; Particle and Nuclear Physics; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; PLASMA; POTENTIALS; Radioactive wastes; SPENT FUELS; Spent nuclear fuels; Spent reactor fuels; VAPORS; ionization efficiency; electron beam; plasma separation; gas discharge
• ISSN: 1063-7788; 1562-692X
• DOI: 10.1134/S1063778816140027

The method of plasma separation of spent nuclear fuel can be tested with a model substance which has to be transformed from the condensed to plasma state. For this purpose, electron-induced discharge in lead vapor injected into the interelectrode gap is simulated using the kinetic approach. The ionization efficiency, the electrostatic-potential distribution, and those of the ion and electron densities in the discharge gap are derived as functions of the discharge-current density and concentration of the vapor of the model substance. Given a discharge-current density of 3.5 A/cm 2 and a lead-vapor concentration of 2 × 10 12 cm –3 , the simulated ionization efficiency proves to be nearly 60%. The discharge in lead vapor is also investigated experimentally.