Current neutralization and focusing of intense ion beams with a plasma-filled solenoidal lens. I
- Laboratory of Plasma Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States)
The response of the magnetized plasma in an axisymmetric, plasma-filled, solenoidal magnetic lens, to intense light ion beam injection is studied. The lens plasma fill is modeled as an inertialess, resistive, electron magnetohydrodynamic (EMHD) fluid since characteristic beam times {tau} satisfy 2{pi}/{omega}{sub {ital pe}},2{pi}/{Omega}{sub {ital e}}{lt}{tau}{le}2{pi}/{Omega}{sub {ital i}} ({omega}{sub {ital pe}} is the electron plasma frequency and {Omega}{sub {ital e},{ital i}} are the electron, ion gyrofrequencies). When the electron collisionality satisfies {nu}{sub {ital e}}{lt}{Omega}{sub {ital e}}, the linear plasma response is determined by whistler wave dynamics. In this case, current neutralization of the beam is reduced on the time scale for whistler wave transit across the beam. The transit time is inversely proportional to the electron density and proportional to the angle of incidence of the beam with respect to the applied solenoidal field. In the collisional regime ({nu}{sub {ital e}}{gt}{Omega}{sub {ital e}}) the plasma return currents decay on the normal diffusive time scale determined by the conductivity. The analysis is supported by two-and-one-half dimensional hybrid particle-in-cell simulations. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}
- OSTI ID:
- 397531
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 3, Issue 12; Other Information: PBD: Dec 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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