Recent Results in High Current Density Surface Ionization and Plasma Ion Sources for Heavy Ion Fusion.*
Abstract
Experimental results will be presented in the field of high current density ( 100 mA/cm2), pulsed (multi micro-second scale), heavy mass (cesium, argon, etc.) ion sources. The goal of this research is to demonstrate and provide data required for the design and construction of heavy ion source and injectors to be used in future heavy ion fusion (HIF) experiments and drivers. Interest in high current density ion sources has originated from preliminary driver designs using the merging of multiple beamlets to make the required high current, space-charge dominated beams necessary in HIF. The paper presents current density yields obtained for surface ionization sources with different ionization substrates (tungsten, iridium) and ion species (potassium, cesium). Relevant pulse characteristics and considerations regarding neutral loss and its impact on lifetime will be discussed. Results regarding pulse characteristics (risetime, pulse length and temporal uniformity) obtained from a preliminary noble gas plasma source experiment will also be presented, as well as technical details and preliminary results from the next series of plasma source experiments. * Work supported by US DOE under contract number DE-AC03-76SF00098 (LBNL) and W-7405-ENG-48 (LLNL).
- Publication:
-
APS Division of Plasma Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- October 2001
- Bibcode:
- 2001APS..DPPFP1118C