Plasma Contamination and Wall Erosion in Thermonuclear Reactors

Abstract

Plasma radiations striking the vacuum walls of fusion reactors may (a) seriously damage and erode the wall and (b) release major quantities of gas which will contaminate the plasma. The influence of various secondary particle-emission contributing to these two processes will be reviewed; special emphasis will be given to radiation blistering, sputtering, and the release of gaseous particles by energetic photon impact. From the best estimates of the yields of some of these processes, the lifetimes of walls made for example of Nb or Mo will be estimated.