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Ion beam acceleration in a divergent magnetic field

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2927478· OSTI ID:21102048
;  [1];  [2]
  1. West Virginia University, Physics Department, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506 (United States)
  2. Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, 35 Dory Road, Gloucester, Massachusetts 01930 (United States)
Two-dimensional argon ion velocity distribution functions (IVDFs) in the expansion region of a helicon plasma source have been measured by laser-induced-fluorescence tomography. Below a threshold value of the magnetic field in the expansion region, the IVDFs show a bimodal structure comprised of a supersonic ion population axially moving away from the source and an isotropic, slow, background, ion population. Increasing the magnetic field divergence leads to an increase in the axial speed of the supersonic component. A maximum axial speed of {approx}2.9c{sub s} was obtained for a source/expansion magnetic field ratio of 43.
OSTI ID:
21102048
Journal Information:
Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 19 Vol. 92; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English