Surface erosion of tungsten and the morphology of erosion products in experiments simulating plasma disruption

Abstract

The surface erosion of different sorts of tungsten subjected to high-power pulsed plasma streams simulating plasma disruption is studied. With W-13I polycrystalline and (111) single-crystal tungsten samples used as examples, the size distributions for the erosion products collected at different angles to the target are compared. The typical drop erosion of the surface is observed. Fine drops either return to the surface or fly away in a direction parallel to the surface. Coarse drops leave the surface nearly at right angles to the surface. The single-crystal surface displays the absence of fine (<0.125 µm) drops typical of a polycrystalline tungsten surface. The erosion of the single-crystal samples is least among the tungsten sorts considered.