Analysis of Low Energy Neutral Hydrogen Fluxes Using AN Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heated Discharge

This dissertation describes the design, construction, and proof-of-principle verification of a neutral hydrogen flux detection system, based on an ECRH discharge as the neutral flux ionizer. The significant features of the ionizer are its small size and simultaneous excitation of the ECRH mode using a 30 MHz RF driver and relatively small static magnetic fields. Demonstrated is the ability of the ECRH ionizer to ionize ~900 eV neutral hydrogen fluxes with subsequent detection in a high resolution energy analyzer. A versatile calibration technique is applied to determine the ionizer efficiency, which additionally gives a variety of elastic scattering and charge exchange cross section results. Also described are the details of a new low energy beam-target interaction research facility, along with the basic techniques required to calibrate many of the system components. The facility has potential applications in areas such as fundamental cross section measurement, plasma diagnostics, beam-plasma interactions, and further beam-target research.