BRAZIL - LAP-INPE

LABORATÓRIO ASSOCIADO DE PLASMA (LAP)
INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE PESQUISAS ESPACIAIS (INPE)

Caixa Postal 515
12201-970, São José dos Campos, São Paolo

Telephone: +55 12 3945 6698
Telefax: +55 12 3945 6710
URL:   http://www.plasma.inpe.br

Group Leader:	Del Bosco, Edson (E-mail: bosco@plasma.inpe.br )
Deputy:	Alves, Maria Virgínia (E-mail: virginia@plasma.inpe.br )

Staff and Students:

Basic Plasma Physics

Dallaqua, Renato Sérgio (Leader)
    (E-mail: renato@plasma.inpe.br )
Alves, Maria Virgínia

Moraes, Márcio Augusto (student)
Nascimento, Marcelo H. G. (student)

Plasma Technology

Sandonato, Gilberto Marrega (Leader)
    (E-mail: gms@plasma.inpe.br )
Barreto, Patrícia R. Pereira

Gonçalves, José Américo Neves
Ueda, Mario
Tan, Ing Hwie (visiting researcher)

Fusion

Ludwig, Gerson Otto (Leader)
    (E-mail: ludwig@plasma.inpe.br )
Andrade, Maria Célia Ramos
Barbosa, Luis Filipe (student)
Berni, Luis Ãngelo
Castro, Joaquim José Barroso
Castro, Pedro José
Del Bosco, Edson

Ferreira, Júlio Guimarães
Kostov, Konstantin G. (visiting researcher)
Leite, Joaquim Paulino
Oliveira, Rogério de Moraes
Patire Jr., Heitor
Rossi, José Osvaldo
Shibata, Carlos Shinya

Research activities:
The Plasma Laboratory of the National Institute for Space Research (LAP/INPE) was established by Dr. Gerson O. Ludwig in 1978. Research is conducted in the following three main areas:

• Basic Plasma Physics: A quiescent plasma device (chamber diameter of 60cm and length of 120cm) for basic research in many aspects of beam-plasma interaction such as the generation and evolution of waves by electron beam, the nonlinear stabilization of the beam-plasma instability, particle-wave and wave-wave interactions. Theoretical and particle-in-cell simulation work are also carried out in turbulence as well as in plasma wave interactions.
• Plasma Technology: A magnetized vacuum arc discharge device (chamber length of 1m, discharge duration of 15ms, and current up to 3kA) for thin film deposition and stable isotope separation. An ion thruster (diameter of 5cm and thrust of about 1mN) in development for satellite attitude control. A plasma immersion ion implantation device (pulse voltage up to 20kV, duration of 50 microseconds and repetition rate of 400Hz) for surface treatments. A low power plasma torch (5kW) for CVD diamond systhesis.
• Fusion: A low-aspect-ratio tokamak or spherical tokamak - ETE (major radius of 30m, aspect ration of 1.5, torroidal magnetic field of 0.8T and plasma current in the range up to 400kA) in operation since the end of 2000, for the study of the confinement properties of this configuration. The usual plasma diagnostics are also under construction (Thomson scattering, infrared interferometry, lithium beam, soft X-ray and others). A gyrotron (32GHz, 100kW) in operation and a Monotron (6.7GHz, 10kW) being developed for pre ionization studies. Theoretical work related to equilibrium and current drive in tokamaks as well as high power microwaves generators are also carried out.
• Main financial support: Ministry of Science and Technology - MCT. Foundation for the Promotion of Science in the State of São Paulo - FAPESP.