Self-pinched chamber transport of heavy ion beams
Abstract
Self-pinched heavy ion beams are being examined as a chamber transport scheme for heavy-ion-driven inertial confinement fusion. In this scheme, beam-impact-ionization of a low-density background gas provides neutralizing electrons. For certain ranges of background gas pressures the beam is essentially charge-neutralized but incomplete current-neutralization allows the self-magnetic field of the beam to act as a pinch force, confining the beam divergence. Equilibrium transport modes for a Pb^+65 ion beam propagating through low density Xe gas are being studied with particle-in-cell simulations using the LSP code [1]. Time dependent evolution of the beam net current and pinched beam radius as a function of Xe chamber pressure from the simulations is examined. [1] T. P. Hughes, R. E. Clark, and S. S. Yu, Phys. Rev. ST-AB 2, 110401 (1999); D. R. Welch, D. V. Rose, B. V. Oliver, and R. E. Clark, Nucl. Inst. Meth. Phys. Res. A 242, 134 (2001).
- Publication:
-
APS Division of Plasma Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- October 2001
- Bibcode:
- 2001APS..DPPFP1127R