Proto-MPEX Overview and Power Balance

Proto-MPEX at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a prototype design to develop the plasma heating source concepts for the Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (MPEX), a steady-state linear device being developed to study PMI. IR thermography is applied to quantify the plasma hitting the target plate. A power accounting study, which employs an extensive diagnostic suite, works to identify Proto-MPEX operating parameters that could improve its performance, therefore increasing its PMI research capabilities.