Enhanced ion charge states in vacuum arc plasmas using a ''current spike'' method

Journal Article · Mon Jan 31 23:00:00 EST 2000 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1150266· OSTI ID:20215403

Bugaev, A S ^[1]; Oks, E M ^[1]; Yushkov, G Yu ^[1]; Anders, A ^[2]; Brown, I G ^[2]

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1. High Current Electronics Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, and State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics, Tomsk 634050, Russia (Russian Federation)
2. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

Ion charge state distributions of vacuum arc ion sources are correlated to the arc operating voltage. An enhancement of ion charge state via an increase of the arc voltage can be achieved utilizing the transient processes that accompany an arc current spike. A current spike of 100-1000 A and several microseconds width was produced on top of the main arc current pulse (100 A, 250 {mu}s). The ion charge state distribution was measured by charge-to-mass spectrometry. The measured charge state distributions were used as input data to the plasma model of partial local Saha equilibrium, giving the time-dependent electron temperature of the plasma at the freezing zone near the cathode spot. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics.

• OSTI ID: 20215403
• Journal Information: Review of Scientific Instruments, Journal Name: Review of Scientific Instruments Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 71; ISSN 0034-6748; ISSN RSINAK
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
CHARGE STATES
ELECTRIC ARCS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
ION SOURCES
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA PRODUCTION
VACUUM MELTING